#if i just had a body of material to work with i'd be fine no problems i just don't Know what i want to actually work with

[professionalowl]

i love reading an article that's really really good

[bubbles-for-all-of-us]

Still wanting requests? I have a couple…

Can I get a idiots in love with Carmy x reader where he suddenly get jealous and possessive when you are working out front and a customer keeps touching you leg or back when you’re taking their order. (I was a server & bartender for 11 years and the audacity of the men who thought that this was okay, but we couldn’t tell them to stop because we were afraid of getting in trouble!!!)

How would Carmy react when he sees it, and after when he is kind of heated talking to you in the office and you tell him that’s that is something all women have to deal with on a daily bases. Everywhere. How would he react to this info?

Not under my watch

It's pretty late. Dinner service is almost over. Everyone's already had more than a couple of glasses of wine. Your feet are killing you. You just want to sit down but still, you keep that plastered smile on your face because the last thing you need is for the customers to notice your tired face.

And there's this one table that you tried to visit as rarely as possible. A couple of duchy-looking bikers. From the moment they stepped in, you knew they were up to something. Just the way their gazes followed every female in the restaurant said it all. A cold shiver ran down your back as you reached for the menus, walking towards them. In a perfect scenario, you would have gotten Richie to cover this but he had slipped out to drive Eva to her ballet class so it was just you.

"Hello, welcome to the Bear. Is there something I could get you two straight away?", you say in a chirpy voice. The two of them look at you like hawks. As if they were checking what part to bite into first. "How about we start with your name, baby girl", you already want to gag but keep up that same smile, "I don't think that's necessary, sir", "Oh, but how will we get your sweet cheeks here when we're in need for you?", the other says, leaning back to check your ass. "I'll let you look through the menu and will be back shortly to take your order", you say, turning to walk away. Stopping to pick up empty plates from the other tables. Saying goodbye to some of the customers. Thanking them for coming and wishing them a lovely evening. Yet all that time you could feel eyes watching you. Following your every move. And suddenly you get hyper-aware of how your shirt feels a bit too low cut and your breasts feel too outlined by the tight material. How the skirt feels too low cut. And you suddenly wonder if you lean across the table, does it show too much? But it's all the things you've never thought about. Nothing that bothered you before those two came along. The uniform is professional and the whole staff wears it. You try to shake it off. Glancing towards the clock. Richie should be back any minute now. He'll take over. You'll be fine. A thought about telling something to Carmen crosses your mind but you quickly chase that thought away. He's busy. And those two aren't worth his time.

A whistle catches your attention and you see one of them waving you over. You grit your teeth. Feeling like a dog called by an owner. "Ready to order?", you get your pen ready. Trying not to meet any of their eyes. "I'd like some with these tender-looking thighs", You feel his fingers reaching for the back of your leg and you quickly step back. Panic rises in your stomach. "Sir, I would ask you to...", you start, "You'll be begging by the time I'm done, doll. Not asking", he states. "Bend over why don't you", You feel another pair of hands on your back and you want to move away but you're so scared. Your whole body freezes. You grip the pan in your arms as you stare ahead.

And may all the holy spurts be with them. Because Carmen decided to look through the little window that leads to the front. A habit of his now that you've been working here. It's his way of calming himself in a way. Watching you smiling and chatting with the people always makes him feel at ease. He loves nothing more than watching you in your element. But it's also his way of making sure that you are well. This is Chicago after all. Too many dodgy people sneaking around. And his blood stopped pumping when he catches those two men groping you.

And, holy hell, is Carmen ready to raise hell. I don't even think there would be a question as to what he would do. Carmen's dropping the spoon into the pot and storming through the kitchen door. Because this is not acceptable. He snatches a couple of utensils as he goes. Ripping the hands away from your body. Slamming the rough stranger's palms to the table before two sets of forks make contact with their skin. "You fuckers will be lucky to walk out of here in one piece", he barks out. The room fills with cries of pain and swearing.

You feel someone else's hand on you once more, jumping slightly, only to be met with Richie. It's all a blur after that. Richie says something to Carmen. You feel him touching your face but you're kind of looking past him. It's all just a series of events. And then you end up in Carmen's office with him kneeling in front of you. "My love", he breathes out, carefully pushing a strand of your loose hair away. It killed him seeing you like this. His little sunshine. Absolute ray of sunshine now nothing more but a grey sky. Oh, how much Carmen wanted to go there and just beat the daylight out of these creeps.

"I'm okay", you mutter, reaching to squeeze his hand that has been lying on your thigh. "You should have come to grab me, love", he growls lightly you know that he's not mad at you. He's mad at the whole situation. It's frustrating to him that this shit is happening right under his nose. "Carm, it's fine. It's not the first time and...", but his wild eyes cut you off, "What do you... What do you mean not the first time?". His breaths are shallow now. You lean forward to cup his face, "It happened all the time in my last job. Hand on the back. Hand on the leg". Carmen is shaking his head, "I'll fucking find them all and", "And nothing, love, no one cares". But Carmen huffs, "I care. I care and this will never happen again. You come and tell me any time someone is looking suspicious to you", he's pulling you closer to him. Wrapping you up in his arms, "No one will touch you like that again. Not under my fucking watch".

[ryescapades]

❝ [ querencia ] ╰┈➤ of the same thread (kaiju no. 8)

— iii. it's just one of those nights...

genre/warning: narumi gen x lil sis!reader, a bit of hurt/comfort, fluff, just a soft moment between you two

a/n: as much as i adore loser!narumi, i rly love his cool, ‘strongest combatant’ side even more and lowkey sad that it's not talked about as much :c mini series masterlist

in the midst of the concluded chaos, at the top of a half-destroyed three storey building and perching on the ledge. that was how you found your brother right after the battle was announced to be a huge win.

narumi peered behind him as he heard the soft pitter-patter of your footsteps. "aren't you joining the celebration? you're the mvp, after all," you chimed. well, isn't he always? narumi grinned, giving you a shrug. "not feeling like it tonight,"

it's rare, but it's also not uncommon for your brother to not be in the mood to rejoice in a successful mission. sensing the hint of blues in his manners, you ambled over and took a seat beside him, two pairs of legs dangling over the edge. the material of his numbers weapon suit brushed against your own combat one.

the both of you stare ahead at the mess you all left behind; the dead bodies of the monsters you'd slain and some casualties in the construction here and there. "what's on your mind, nii-chan?" you started, using the affectionate nickname you'd usually only use as a jest or when you two were alone.

it took a few minutes of silence before narumi spoke, "are you happy here?" here, as in working as a soldier in the defense force. he didn't say it outright, but you understood him just fine.

you were about to ask him about the oddity of that question but you stopped yourself, knowing that wasn't the response he would've preferred. "i am happy. i have a home, i have money, i don't have to worry about getting food on the table, i get to kill kaiju and save lives. and i have you,"

narumi chuckled airily at that, muttering a "true," under his breath. and then you added, "plus, i got a boyfriend now. that definitely makes me the happiest," your brother immediately glared at you in displeasure, "brat," he mumbled, giving you a rather hard pinch on the side of your waist.

he sifted his fingers through his black and grey hair before sighing, "would you feel the same if we weren't in this job?" this time, it was you who took a few moments to answer and when you did, it was one you prayed it would ease whatever worries that had been messing around in his head.

"yeah, i would. as i said before, i have you. we could be running around like two headless chickens trying to survive in an abandoned island, and i'd still enjoy every second of it. as long as you're there, nii-chan,"

narumi gave you a look of disbelief before reaching over to ruffle the top of your head with a smirk. "you're one hell of an ass-kisser, kiddo,"

"hey, mind you! that was purely genuine. why did you ask anyway?" you questioned, swatting his hand away and squinting your eyes at him. for the second time that night, narumi shrugged. "just feel like i could've done better at giving you a proper life, you know." he admitted seriously and quietly, staring down at his obnoxiously large weapon, the tip of the bayonet dug into a piece of rubble just by the entrance of the building down below.

your eyes widened a little at that, surprised at how much of that hidden vulnerability of his that he allowed you to see. the country’s strongest combatant, bearing the weight of the world on his shoulders.

"okay ew, stop that! now you're just being sappy," you grumbled, making a dramatic gagging noise. "shut up, i wasn't even trying to be!" your brother hissed in irritation, though it was clear to you both that it was just a way to lighten the mood.

your smile turned soft and you shifted closer, resting your head on his shoulder. "i am living a proper life right now. nothing beats having you here with me, nii-chan. you're like, the coolest brother ever!" you beamed, both exaggerating and honest.

"heh, damn right i am! now you better get ready because i'm dragging your ass to play games with me tonight to celebrate this mission!"

©🅁🅈🄴🅂🄲🄰🄿🄰🄳🄴🅂. do not steal, translate or repost my work anywhere else !

[savage-rhi]

hi hope you’re well!! id like to request sharing a bed with ignis (or all ffxv boys! up to you!) for the first time please! like there’s only one bed or the booking at hotel went wrong ! it’s up to you! dw if you don’t want to do it :) love ur work!

"This is just peachy..." The sarcasm rolled off Gladio's tongue like molasses as he shot Ignis a glare. "You just had to let blondie down there take care of the booking."

Ignis sighed as he scrunched his legs up further into his chest, trying to give Gladio and their fifth guest more room at the front of the bed. He grunted before addressing the crude remark.

"Tending to Y/N at the time was more important than keeping an eye out on Prompto's sense of rationale."

"Hey!" Prompto exclaimed as he shot up from the foot of the bed. He shoved Gladio's left foot away, grimacing at the aroma that wafted from his calloused toes. "When the receptionist said they had a suite, I assume that means a big space. Where I'm from, a big space means more room which means having more than one bed!"

"There's a reason you didn't pass algebra." Noctis quipped. He earned a swift kick to his side from Prompto and nearly fell off the mattress while he yelped.

"You're one to talk Noct, you only passed the tenth grade cause you copied my material!"

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"Did not--!"

"Guys, not for nothing, but I'd like to sleep." Y/N sighed.

"Y/N's right," Ignis muttered. "We have a big day ahead of us and it's already late. Let us try to make the best out of the situation."

"Fine, whatever." Noctis breathed. He adjusted his body, lying on his side and facing away from Ignis's legs. He thanked the gods for not being in Prompto's position when it came to catching a whiff of Gladio's feet. The swampy smell was still there from their time in Duscae, and Noctis let out a grunt when he felt nausea pool briefly in his chest.

"You okay down there, Noct?" Y/N asked.

"Yep!" Noctis sighed.

"Good," Y/N tried to keep their eyes upon the ceiling in a vain attempt to ignore the fact they were sandwiched in between both Ignis and Gladio. All the while, their feet were pressed upon Noctis and Prompto. Had they not felt self-conscious being amongst four guys in a single bed, Y/N would've seen the hilarity in all this. How the whole gang was basically crammed onto the mattress like a posse of clowns trapped inside a small vehicle.

"Uh," Y/N made a face as they snapped out of their thoughts. "Gladio, I think you're touching my butt."

"Sorry, my bad!"

"Y/N," Ignis turned his head, raising his voice ever so slight. "This may seem awkward, but we may be able to give Gladio and yourself more wiggle room if you bundle up to me."

"Smooth one, specs." Noctis teased. He let out a wince when Ignis not so subtly jabbed his face with his right foot. Prompto could be heard giggling into his palms at the incident.

Y/N growled a little in their throat. As much as they had grown to enjoy the antics of the boys, now was not the time. Nonetheless, they went through the motions. Their body curled up against Ignis until they were practically spooning the man from behind.

"Finally, I can stretch!" Gladio yawned. He gently reached over and nudged Y/N. "Thanks for taking one for the team."

"Whatever helps you sleep at night." Y/N muttered in reply. They felt Ignis reach for them, gently coaxing Y/N to put an arm around his waist.

"You sure this is alright?" Y/N tried to whisper against the back of Ignis's head.

"Positive," He replied. "Besides, this will lower the risk of having you wake in a compromising position with anybody."

Y/N quietly laughed at the remark. "Kinda late for that, but okay."

"He's a gentleman like that!" Prompto interjected. He let out an uncomfortable sigh as he moved around, causing the bed to creak. "Gladio, buddy, do you think you can move? You're taking up my side of the bed."

"Your side of the bed?!" Gladio exclaimed, feeling the last straw break the camels back. "This whole bed should've been my side of the bed but you screwed up!"

"And here I thought you liked slumber parties!" Prompto jabbed playfully.

"I outta--!"

"Hey!" Noctis rose up. "You two, shut the hell up and go to sleep! Enough of the cat fight!"

"How about you shut up for a change?" Gladio countered.

"Is that a challenge?"

"Guys, c'mon...I already gotta smell Gladio's fungus feet and I don't want the bed turning into a battle arena!"

"Fungus feet?!"

Y/N shook their head against Ignis, letting out a sigh of disbelief as the commotion between the three pressed on. The gentle squeeze Ignis offered had them slightly perk up.

"They're always like this," Ignis reassured. "And the feelings are mutual, by the way."

The tired reply Ignis gave had Y/N smile from ear to ear, and somehow they could feel themself drifting away among the bantering. Tomorrow would come soon.

If you like my work and feel generous, feel free to donate to my ko-fi account or my cash app account!

Cash App: $JayRex1463

[artofchira]

As someone else who's in the process of burning out just surviving, and has lost sight of why I enjoyed art in the first place, would you be willing to share some of the things you've tried to get back on your feet? Super glad that you're doing so much better, btw.

First: It's actually become a job for me to help artists reconnect to their art through my mentorship workshop with everything I have learned, and I consider myself very good at it. I've been doing it for about 4 years now. If you or any other artist would like direct help with recovering from burn out please check out the service page of my website and testimonials from previous clients.

To answer your question:

A lot of my own personal stabilization just came as a result of wanting the experience of making art to be comfortable. It wasn't a choice anymore. After my father passed I relaxed for about 3 months -- longest I went without drawing in my life since I started freelancing -- and when I sat back at my desk I just couldn't make myself work under the same pressure. I'd try to force myself to draw and it made me want to cry instead. I quickly learned I could only create if I felt comfortable and drawing felt gentle, so I had to accept moving forward if I wanted to continue being as productive as before I needed to find a way of working that eliminated stress or using will power, which means working in a way that was renovated from the ground up. I couldn't go back. How I was making art was over. I needed it to be repaired. I had no idea what that looked like, so it was truly trial and error.

A fact about me is I have a very high sensory/pain threshold naturally (I also recently learned I was autistic over the pandemic, imagine that has something to do with it) so I've always been historically bad at ignoring my physical limitations because I rarely felt them unless my body broke down on me, and when it did I treated myself with annoyance and forced myself to work through it. I'm talking like no sleeping for 3-4 days straight, or coming home after a kidney stone to finish a comic page still shaky on pain and morphine and then feeling bad at myself for being lazy. To say my old work habits were highly self abusive is an understatement. So when I started addressing everything that was an inconvenience and uncomfortable, it ended up correcting everything I was ignoring or failed to consider a problem until it was past due.

To cut a long story short, a list of material changes to my life that improved my health:

I got medicated, finally. I'm extremely bipolar. Always have been. Drawing between periods of oscillating between feeling divinely invincible vs ideating suicide every waking moment vastly became easier to manage.

I got glasses. I'm farsighted, but it was never a problem for me since I could see fine -- ooor so I thought. Turns out when you're farsighted you're focusing constantly without even realizing it. Turns out getting glasses gave me 80% of my mental space back so I suddenly had more energy, generally more awake, and more focused. No one talks about farsightedness so I had absolutely no idea I was burning myself out physically just being able to see. Worth mentioning!

Started seeing a massage therapist and a chiropractor regularly. I always thought of those things as luxuries, not necessities. Which was extremely stupid. Maintaining my physical body through directly working out kinks in it became something like brushing my teeth or showering -- it's just something you do to make sure health and hygiene isn't making you dysfunctional and rotting you. My body no longer breaks down.

For the same reasons as above, maintained seeing my therapist regularly even if I felt fine or had no issues to work out. I realized I was always quick to end support as soon as I felt I didn't need it anymore (again treating it as a luxury) so making the space in my life for mental/emotional check ins kept my head organized. My therapist is bewildered by me and has no idea what to do with me because she feels she's not doing anything. I just tell her by me making the space for me to explain myself at all, even if all I was doing was describing how I was fine, was the help. She's great.

Got a cappuccino machine. May seem stupid but being able to make gourmet coffees from my kitchen every morning really genuinely improved my life and mind more than getting medicated.

Got a dog. He's amazing. I love him. Very warm and loving companion, and such a gentle soul. He keeps me out of my head and gets me prioritizing walks every day, so my vitamin D intake increased massively. I don't have the luxury of staying in bed for 3 days straight in my depressive episodes anymore. I have to make the effort to leave it at least twice a day to walk and feed him and play with him. Like most people, I'm terrible at prioritizing for myself but will move worlds for those I love no matter where I'm at.

For personal habits I just reflected a lot on why I felt I had to will myself to draw when drawing is something I love doing most. It made no sense to resent doing what you devote yourself to doing. I changed -- and still changing -- my mental framing in how I think of working on art for it to be something I'm eager to do, not obligated to.

Hope this was educational.

[peachesandcreames]

What Are We? Part 3

A/N: Any and All Military Mistakes Are My Own. I'd love to thank @mrsevans90 for helping me get the ball rolling on this installment. It would not be possible without their input and feedback!

Trigger Warnings: A Vague Disclaimer is Nobody's Friend. You and you alone are responsible for your reading material. Jake Seresin is a complete menace. I tried to tag as many as possible but it wouldn't let me tag everyone and for that I apologize. Angst in the form of parental death/drunk driving. Illusion to Goose's untimely passing. Airplane accidents. A little bit of smut because this is Jake we're talking about. I think that covers it. If I missed anything please feel free to let me know! Hearts, likes, comments and reblogs are always appreciated ❤ Happy Reading 📚

The next morning came bright and early with Jake's alarm clock waking him. He groaned and rolled over to stop the offending noise. He slammed his hand down until he made contact and all noise ceased. Lying on his back he roughly ran his hand over his face trying to wake up, he looked out his window and the sun was barely peaking over the horizon. Today was going to be a very long day of running drills and flight plans.

Jake wished that it was you waking him up with your warm, soft lips and hands instead of his shrill alarm clock. He grabbed his phone that was sitting on his bedside table and saw that he had a missed text from you. Just seeing your name first thing in the morning brought a smile to his face. Y/N: Good Morning, Handsome. You're probably still sleeping. Call me or text me when you see this. If I don't hear from you I hope that you have a wonderful day!! xoxo Y/N

Jake tossed his phone onto his slept in bed and made his way to the head to drain the snake. His dog tags rattling around his neck and his grey sweatpants slung low on his hips. He quickly took care of business and washed his hands. He was desperate to hear your voice hoping that it would make his day go by quicker. Checking the time he saw that it was only a little bit past 6 in the morning.

He wasn't sure why you were awake so early but you hadn't texted him that long ago, he dialed your number and listened to it ringing on the other end. You picked up on the 3rd ring and answered, "Hello?" "Good morning sunshine. What are you doing awake this early?" You could hear the humor in his voice, Jake knew that you weren't a morning person at all. "Oh, ya know just thought that I would be up before the sun. You do this every day? On purpose?"

Jake let out a chuckle "hazard of the job, Sweetheart. So what are you doing up this early?" You groaned that Nat had talked you into joining her on her daily juice and jog as she called it. Phoenix always starts her day with a juice cleanse and a jog and she roped you into it. You were changing into a pair of leggings and matching Tshirt plus some sensible shoes. You pulled your hair into a messy bun and resumed your conversation.

"Oh you know, trying to fit in some sister quality time before she goes to work." You took a good long hard look in the mirror and decided that you looked fine for an early morning run. You were pretty sure that muggers wouldn't care what you looked like. "Can I ask you for a favor?" "Anytime. What you got for me?" You felt awkward asking and you figured that Jake could sense that.

"You don't have to be shy around me, remember I know what you sound like when you cum. " You could pretend to be scandalized but he was in the right. "Could I drop you my location? I'd just feel better knowing that you know where I am incase anything happens. Logically, I know that nothing will but I've definitely seen one to many true crime shows and horror movies that start with this exact scenario: Hot young women go jogging and boom they either find a dead body or end up as said dead body. "You were aware that you were rambling but couldn't stop yourself.

Jake thought it was adorable but he didn't want to diminish your anxiety and he thought it was cute that you were still shy around him after everything. "Of course you can. Do you know where Phoenix is taking you?" You pulled your phone away from your ear and googled the directions. "Mission Beach Park," you let Jake know as you scrolled through the pictures. It looked really pretty and not secluded but it was still dark outside and you'd rather be safe than sorry.

You dropped your location to Jake's cell phone and he heard the ding a few seconds later. You felt a little bit of relief that someone else knew where you would be. Now that you got that out of the way, it was time to move on to why you really texted him so early in the morning. You weren't sure how to broach the subject so you just dove right in. "So, next week Nat and I are hosting a little get together at the house. It was actually Amelia's idea and Penny's too. Everyone's invited. "

You kind of let the silence fill the void, the implication being that you were looking forward to seeing him again in a more personal setting. Jake decided to put you out of your misery, "wild horses couldn't keep me away from seeing you again. " You released the breath that you weren't aware that you were holding. "Good." Jake could practically feel your smile through the phone.

Phoenix yelled up the stairs that she was going to get ready and your freshly squeezed juice was sitting on the kitchen counter. You gave him all of the information for next week's gathering and you were hesitant to end the call. "I gotta run, literally. " You let out a snort and Jake thought you were adorable and had no problems letting you know that. "You're so goddamn adorable it hurts me. "

"Oh no, we wouldn't want you to be in any pain. You might have to come over and let me kiss it and make it better. " A sly smile on your face had Jake groaning into the phone. "Don't be a tease Y/N, you know that I'll drop everything and be there so fast your head will spin. " You gave yourself a final glance in the mirror and went downstairs to the kitchen.

You saw your juice where she said that it would be and you could hear the shower running as you took a sip of the green juice. It was surprisingly good and you finished about half. "Don't threaten me with a good time, Seresin." That brought a smile to his face as he was changing into a pair of athletic shorts and tshirt, you could hear his dog tags rattling as he slid them under his shirt. "What's on the agenda for today?"

Jake tried to keep his tone light when he told you that he was joining Coyote on his run followed by breakfast in the main dining hall followed by a few flight test runs and then being debriefed. "Just a typical day, sunshine. I should be done around 6. I'd love to take you out for dinner and drinks, pick you up and take you out on a proper date. You put on your best dress and get all dolled up for me. How's that sound?"

"I know what you're trying to do here, you're trying to distract me from you training for life and death missions, Lieutenant. " That got a laugh out of Jake. "Tell me that it's working?" You begrudgingly acknowledged that yes the idea of being wined and dined by him was definitely working on you. "Good. " You heard a banging on his door and you caught bits and pieces of his conversation with Javy. "Tell Javy that I say hi and you guys have a safe flight training."

Jake could hear the worry in your voice and he hated it. "I'll see you at 7 sharp, Princess." You tried to take the fear out of your voice so that he wouldn't worry about you being worried about him. "I'm counting down the seconds" you whispered into the phone as Nat made her way further into the kitchen to put on her running shoes. You both quietly hung up and you turned to face her.

"You ready?" You nodded and grabbed your light athletic jacket and you made sure that you had your gps on and your pepper spray. You and Nat stepped out onto your front porch and she locked the door behind you. "What are your plans for the rest of the day?" Phoenix asked you as she did some pre run stretches and you followed suit. You looked at her warily and let her know that Jake was picking you up at 7 tonight for a date. "Oohhh, the plot thickens, " she smirked at you.

"That's not until later tonight. I think that I'll look for a job or maybe I'll go back to school. I'm not sure yet what I want to do." Phoenix nodded and linked your arms together as you started to walk together towards the beach. "I'm really happy that you're planning a future here, I honestly wasn't sure if asking you to move here and uproot your entire existence was the right thing to do but I'm willing to help you figure everything out. "

"I appreciate you offering and for everything else that you have done for me. I should plan at least one trip back home to get the rest of my stuff out of storage and finalize the sale of the house." Phoenix lightly punched you on your shoulder and you looked over at her. "You know that you don't have to do everything on your own, right? I mean I'm all for being a strong independent woman but sometimes the adult thing to do is ask for help. Let me help you."

Your sister's words brought tears to your eyes and you were too choked up to speak so you just nodded yes and hugged her. "I love you, Y/N. You're my family and the squad already considers you one of us. There's no escaping it now." That made you laugh through your tears "only a crazy lady wouldn't want to be surrounded by hot U.S. Navy men and live near the ocean. "

That elicited a groan and an eyeroll from your sister who playfully kicked you in the butt. "I should have known that would have been the deal breaker for you. " You put your hands on your hips and started jogging down the path. "Catch me if you can," you called over your shoulder and kept up a steady pace. You two jogged in comfortable silence for a few miles and made it home just as the sun was rising.

Phoenix made sure that you got home safely and got her stuff ready for work and soon the house was quiet again. You made yourself a light breakfast of egg whites and avocado toast and took a quick shower. You threw your dirty clothes into the washer and changed into a pair of shorts and tank top. You found your laptop and fired it up, you were quickly burning through what little savings you had and you desperately needed a source of income. You refused to sponge off of your sister as you browsed the help wanted section.

In your previous life back home you were going to school for nursing and working part time when your world was turned upside down. You didn't want to go back to school so work it was, you emailed a few different places with your resume and hoped that someone would reach out to you soon. You cleaned up the kitchen and switched your laundry and decided that you would need something pretty to wear on your night out with Jake. You looked at the clock and saw that it was only a little bit past noon and you figured that it was as good as a time as any to text him and ask him where he was taking you so you could decide on an outfit. Standing in the middle of your room you shot him a quick text.

JAKE'S POV:

Jake was standing in line for lunch when his phone vibrated in his shorts pocket. His morning and afternoon consisted of a 5 mile run with Rooster, Bob, Payback, Coyote and Fanboy. A few laps around the track to cool down and then they hit the showers just in time for lunch in the mess hall. His blonde hair was still damp from the shower and he was starved. After lunch they'd be practicing evasive flight maneuvers.

He reached into his pocket and pulled his phone out and saw that it was you asking for hints about how fancy should you dress up. He planned on taking you to the best steakhouse restaurant in San Diego. He fired off a quick text letting you know that he thought you would look stunning in a burlap sack. Two seconds later he got your response : not at all helpful, Seresin. Coyote was standing behind him and trying to look over Jake's shoulder to see who he was texting.

You had it narrowed down to a few different options and decided to send Jake some pictures and let him decide on which outfit was your best look. Unaware that Javy was still looking over Jake's shoulder he opened the picture messages and Coyote let out a wolf whistle. "Yo, who's the hottie sending you sexy pictures?!" Jake quickly put his phone back into his pocket but it was too late, the damage was done. All of the guys swarmed Jake trying to figure out who you were. Rooster and Phoenix walked in and saw the guys huddled around Jake.

"What's going on?" Phoenix asked and they all turned to look at her. Javy was the first to spill the beans, "Hangman has a hottie sending him sexy pictures and he won't share." If looks could kill there would be five mortally wounded men in the mess hall. Rooster glanced over at Phoenix and elbowed her in the side, "ain't that your sister, Y/N?" Phoenix slowly nodded her head and as she was walking towards them they at least had the common decency to scatter. "Before you attempt to rip me a new asshole she's not sending me nudes, she's asking for my opinion on outfits for our date tonight. "

That seemed to appease Phoenix as Jake showed her the pictures that you just sent him. "Tell her to go with the LBD and the black stilettos. " Jake quickly replied that he wanted to see you in that little black dress and sexy heels. With that decided the squad sat down and dug into their food. "What's on the agenda for after lunch?" Coyote asked Rooster. "We're going up in groups of four and practicing different counter strikes, basically the last two pilots flying are the winners. "

Hangman and Coyote fist bumped each other "Y'all might as well forfeit because you're looking at the winners right now. " That got a collective groan from the dagger squad as they made their way to their respective quarters to change into their flight suits. As they strode out onto the tarmac and waited for Maverick and the rest of the instructors to arrive Jake sent you one more text that he couldn't wait to see you tonight. Your reply was pretty much instantaneous: the feeling is completely mutual. See you soon 😉. The first four pilots got into their fighter jets and taxied down the runway.

Jake, Coyote, Phoenix and Bob were next. Everything was going according to plan, Hangman was in his element in the sky until he made a move to counteract Phoenix's attack and the sun was in his eyes and he didn't see the incoming flock of birds getting sucked into his plane's engine and everything started going haywire and he couldn't get it back under control. The next thing he knew was going into a spin and all of the fighter jets alarms started going off. "Pull up!" Coyote shouted at Jake as he struggled to bring it back under control. "I can't! All systems are in failure!! Eject!! Eject!! Eject!!"

Y/N POV

It was getting closer to 7 pm and Jake should be here any second now. You curled your hair and pulled it into a loose pony tail, you sprayed enough hair spray to put another hole in the ozone layer and once you were satisfied that not even a hurricane could move your hair you moved to put the finishing touches on your makeup. You went with a classic cat eye and fire engine red lipstick, you were spraying some perfume and getting your black clutch that matched your outfit and you heard the doorbell. You smiled as you grabbed a black leather jacket and made your way downstairs and opened the door expecting to see Jake but it was Maverick and Hondo instead. Your smile faltered and you felt your stomach sink.

"Hey Pete, Hondo. Is everything okay? Is Jake running late and he sent you to keep me preoccupied until he gets here?" Pete couldn't look at you and Hondo had his head down. Pete shook his head and cleared his throat, "I'm really sorry Y/N, earlier today we were flying flight maneuvers and patterns and there was an incident involving Hangman and Coyote. They lost contact with the control tower and ejected somewhere over the desert. Their GPS gave their last known location but it's not exact coordinates. Search and Rescue are out looking right now. "

You couldn't hear Pete but his lips were moving and Hondo looked to be on the verge of crying. You couldn't breathe, your chest felt tight and it hurt to inhale. Pete made a move to step inside your house and it all went silent. You must have dropped the stuff that you were holding but you didn't realize it. You tried to shove past them but they gently stopped you.

"No, I...we...he....had plans...." you weren't sure when you started crying but you were on the verge of hysterics and everything was happening at lightning speed while you felt like you were sinking in quicksand. Their words running through your head: Jake...Coyote....accident...desert....search and rescue. You couldn't focus, you couldn't breathe. You just knew that you couldn't sit here and wait for word if they were alive or dead. You must have made it to your room to change into jeans and a sweater.

It gets cold at night in the desert and you couldn't help but think are they hurt? Are they cold? Are they injured? Are they... no. Not possible. You wouldn't allow yourself to entertain the thought. You were frantically looking for a flashlight that you had somewhere and you found it under a pile of clothes, you saw Jake's brown bomber jacket and you grabbed that too. You ran down the stairs and grabbed your car keys sitting in the dish by the door.

Pete was chasing after you but you were quicker than him and Hondo. You got in your car and drove as fast as you could towards the base. "Shit, Hondo we have to get there before Y/N. She doesn't have the credentials to get on base and she's not thinking clearly. Text Phoenix and let her know that Y/N is headed that way. "

Hondo nodded and let Phoenix know that you knew what happened and were driving like a bat out of hell. The ride to the base was quiet and somber, Phoenix let them know that she was waiting for you at the gate. "Do you think that they're ok?" Pete took his eyes off the road for a split second and shook his head. "I honestly don't know, I really hope that they are. Y/N and Phoenix lost their parents not too long ago in a drunk driving accident. I don't think that Y/N would be able to recover losing someone who she cares about so soon after...."

You somehow made it to the base in record time without being pulled over for speeding. You barely put the car in park and jumped out leaving the keys in the ignition and the drivers side wide open. Pete and Hondo pulled in after you, "Y/N! Wait!" Their pleas fell on deaf ears and you barely recognized your sister standing at the entrance. "Natasha!! You were flying with him and Javy!! What happened?!" Pete parked your car in the visitors area and pocketed your keys and followed you onto the base and into a waiting vehicle designated to take you to the search and rescue site. "I'll fill you in on the way but you have to promise me that you'll stay out of the way and let the professionals do their job, promise me?"

You couldn't speak so you weakly nodded yes. Nat filled you in without going into to much detail. You felt stupid and weak for crying in front of your sister and her superiors but you didn't care. You couldn't lose Jake so soon after losing your parents. You made it to command central, military personnel and ATVs were scouring the desert.

Nat led you to the makeshift shelter that they had set up. It was at best controlled chaos and pandemonium. Radio chatter and flood lights overwhelmed your senses. You were numb and just standing under the white canvas tent staring into the inky darkness. You felt more than saw someone slip a wool blanket over your shoulders and hand you a cup of coffee.

You glanced over and saw that it was Rooster. He gave you a sad smile, you took the coffee into your ice cold hands and quietly thanked him. You took a sip and grimaced at the black bitterness but it was just what you needed. It was beginning to thaw out your hands and you were grateful. "We don't have to talk but just so you know I'm here for you. "

You were too overwhelmed with emotions to thank him but you hoped that he could tell you appreciated him and his efforts. Rooster led you over to a chair and you all about collapsed. Rooster sat next to you and ran his hand over your back in comfort. You had a million different questions and you wanted to ask but you thought it would be inconsiderate. You had a death grip on your coffee cup and your leg was bouncing wildly.

Rooster's big hand was on your leg trying to cease your jumpy movements. You put your hand over his and held on so tightly that your knuckles were turning white. There was a lull in the commotion and you could hear excited chatter throughout the crowd of military personnel. ".....found the wreckage ..... ejected....no sign of......bringing in trackers...."

Your head snapped up at the mention of trackers being brought in to help with the search. You looked at Rooster with hope in your tear stained eyes and he didn't have the heart to tell you that it wasn't always a good sign. He didn't have it in him to add to your heartbreak. "What does that mean? That's good, right? They walked away from the crash? They're still alive?!" Rooster silently pleaded with Maverick and he came and sat on your other side. "It's too early to tell but we should know something soon."

Dejected and overwhelmed with worry you felt a fresh set of tears forming behind your eyes. You were starting to succumb to exhaustion and fatigue. Your eyes drooping shut, you just decided to close your eyes and rest your head on Rooster's shoulder. Soon enough you let the comfort of darkness consume you completely with one last thought of Jake and Javy. Please let him come back to me.

~fin~

@tess-love @erindiggory @luna-lovethegood @scarlettwidow19 @ilack3 @imlilconcerned @sarahwasfound @sgt-barnesveins @angelbabyange @mini-bee-bee @supergirl000983 @mrsevans90 @trickphotography2 @jakeyzzz @jessa-21 @madisonmg @these-books-are-ruining-my-life @1111zxc @topgunfan1986 @tess-lecter-blog @tgmavericklover @hangmandruigandmav @hookslove1592 @the-romanian-is-bae @kyliesalvatore @runningawayfromsociety @awhitemanswhoresblog @halibshepherd @atarmychick007 @86laura11 @rockstxr-x @kissmunalodz @crispycitrus @dizzybee03 @caitsymichelle13 @bellaireland1981 @blah-blah-blah-bla @mamachasesmayhem @getmyprettynameoutofyourmouth @beautifulandvoid @rosiahills22 @erindiggory @tonkatesuramen @fandom-life-12 @tootser98 @ellianwhite @mamaskillerqueen @kyliesalvatore @toobouquet

[secret-smut-sideblog]

Tongues and Teeth

Monster x F! Reader (named)

18+ relationships forming, predator/prey, tension, roughness, dirty talk, light choking, restraint, thigh riding, oral (f!), face sitting, masturbation (gn), yearning oh god the yearning

When her monster comes to her again, Merricat learns more about them. And as they are comforted in her, are drawn ever closer...

Prev Chapter, Masterlist

-

A disgruntled heel closed her door, carrying late night groceries in to the counter. Keys looped onto a hook in her wake. Shoes abandoned at the threshold.

"Okay..." She sighed to herself, feeling small triumph and pride at braving the exhaustion. Shedding her work clothes in layers as she fell into the arms of her home. Swaddling herself in a big t-shirt. Igniting warm lamplight along her trail.

Falling back with a satisfied flop on the couch, a drink cracked open in her fingers.

The hinges of the stairwell door shrieked.

Merricat froze.

The wall at her back paused in silence. Then footsteps took up, ascending to the alcove. Sharp in the echo.

Hooves.

A wide smile split her face. Looping a second drink in the hook of her fingers.

"Huh, no rain tonight?"

Blackwood looked up, tilting their head at her in welcome. A new book she had left on the end table open in their lap.

"Not yet. But it's on its way."

Their voice always elicited shivers down her back, gooseflesh rising on her forearms.

As if agreeing with them, a low peal of thunder rose further in towards the city.

It had been several Fridays since their last encounter, and at each appearance, Blackwood had come to darken her doorway. Taking up her alcove as sanctuary from the storm. Reading in the lamplight. Sometimes she joined them, sometimes not. More than happy to supply them with reading material and even a sliver of something home shaped.

She held the bottle out by the neck in offer. Blackwood took it easily, turning it in their large, taloned hands.

"Though, I'm not sure if it's the rain that summons me back here."

Their halogen eyes found hers, head angled into an appraising tilt. Lifting the bottle under skull to their lips.

"Anymore, at least."

Merricat's fingers tightened just slightly on her elbow.

"Actually, I was thinking..." She picked at the label, feeling their eyes heat on her.

"Do you want to come in? Like, in, in?"

She could see their lips fall open in a soft part as their head lowered back down. A deep breath pulled through.

"I would. Very much."

She smiled, nerves and joy colliding. Turning down the stairs, their body an encompassing shadow at her back following. Heart thrilling in her chest.

"Ah, watch your step." She hummed, the low doorway a natural obstacle. Blackwood having to duck their head down in a curl and turn to the side to fit the width of antlers.

"Here." She hushed, smiling. Looping her fingers around a prong to guide it fully down. The smooth bone cool under her pull.

Only after a moment did she realize the casual intimacy of that. She was always too comfortable with touch, reaching out to pat away dirt or tuck a tag in a shirt.

But before she could feel a prickle of shame, their hand came down to the small of her back. Leading her forward in an equally comfortable guide to make room.

Their wide hand felt lightning along her, warm and tingling. Material and shifting. In both worlds.

"Well, here's my shame." She laughed, moving to the kitchen. "I know, it looks like I gutted an antique store."

Blackwood's eyes followed along the walls, studying the fine art prints and faded photographs. Further drawn in by shelves and ledges lovingly adorned with oddities and trinkets.

"No, it's beautiful." They sighed, moving along the room. Picking up a small bottle sealed with wax, filled with settled sand and seawater. Gently flipping it on its head and back, the grains clouding.

"I'd love a tour, if you don't mind."

"Oh...! Of course!" She chirped, surprised delight raising her up from a lean on the counter.

She led them room to room, pointing out many small fascinations and explaining their origins to the best of her memory.

Glad for the distraction. The heat shared between them in the stairwell weeks ago had burned into her fingers, and she was desperate to regain some platonic footing. Sure the moment had been an overstep, a miscommunication. Though their companionship was... odd, she treasured it dearly already. A girl and a monster. How wonderful.

"Well, that only took half an hour, a new record for me." She laughed, displaying the last cabinet in her bedroom with a flourish. "Sorry, I get carried away."

"No, no..." They ran a taloned finger ever so softly over a glass protected taxidermy. "You've amassed a fascinating collection. Macabre and lovely."

Appraising her again with that small tilt of head. "I think fate couldn't have chosen a better person. Given the form I take now."

She gave a little happy wiggle of shoulders and immediately felt silly about it. Always too girlish in her mannerisms. But Blackwood's eyes only creased up in a hidden smile.

"Your... form." She started, sitting down on the edge of her bed. "How does that feel? For you?"

They settled next to her, folding a long leg onto the bed to face her. Taking a small moment of thoughtful pause.

"Unstable. Like I am between." They raised their hands, holding them in a demonstrating curl. "There's this pull. Like the shift in the air before lightning. Crackling. But it's all over me. Through me."

"In the few moments when I feel material, it settles slightly. Then I feel... tight. Powerful."

They waved their hands in a search for words.

"Coiled?" She offered.

"Yes. Coiled. Poised to strike." They let out a slightly shuddered breath.

"Is it... does it feel frightening?" She turned fully to them. Her hands resting in her lap, fingers unconsciously folding over the ones that had been in their mouth.

"Yes." They breathed. "Terribly."

They slid their hand under hers, curling over her body stained fingers.

"It feels so good." They rumbled, eyes burning. Hackles raising up their back.

Her breath was a fast rabbit caught. Knowing her instinct was right.

Run, girl. Run.

But that was not what her desire spoke.

She rushed them, rising onto knees to push her burning body into their dark. Gasping out breath as her mouth desperately fought to taste theirs.

Blackwood tangled into her, tilting their head back to give her their maw. Her hungry mouth undeterred by the bone of their skull above. Anatomy be damned.

Their hands threaded into her hair, curling around to scratch lines above her ear. Growling and huffing. Biting at her, leaving lips bruised and angry. Two animals rutting in the soft dark.

Their body felt velvet and shock. Electricity pushing into her everywhere they grasped. In the taught of their large muscled body, the silk fur of where their form became beast. Long hair that she wound in her fingers and tugged. All of it wrapped in the deepest black. Crowned in proud branches of bone.

The lust she tried to smother in reason and shame filled her belly, inhibition swept away in the storm. She wanted them. She had always wanted them.

Pulling her top off in a reckless toss, she pressed into them. Grinding into their lap.

Blackwood huffed out breath.

"Wait..."

She paused, worry weaving under the weight of her desire.

"I'm afraid I'm going to hurt you, Merricat." Their claws dug into her hips. "I need more than you can take."

"Please, don't stop." She gasped, cupping both sides of their face. "I want you to take. Take me apart. Take all I have to give."

They growled deep in their chest. Their pupils narrowed into pinpoint. Hand coming to snap her wrists behind her back. Head descending to her breast.

"Oh god..." She shuddered, their tongue curling in fast swirls. Sucking the peak in pops of their lips, releasing it to toy with it again. The sensation sent her head back in a pant. Pleasure pooling in her cunt.

They nibbled down on the tip, pulling a whimper from her. Eyes already lost in her sockets, a strike of lust fueled pain tightening as they bit in earnest.

Their hand not holding her writhing wrists came up to slide fingers under her. Her panties separating only adding maddening friction.

"I feel that." They breathed, voice all danger. Nearly accusatory. "You're soaking."

"Yes." She hushed, angling her hips forward. Seeking.

"You know, I could smell you. When you put your fingers inside me." They hissed, fingers tightening into a bruise on her wrists. "Your heat."

Their fingers left her center to curl around her throat. Lifting her high onto her knees. Their head curling down to stare furious desire into her.

"I even tried to rush you. But that only made you want it more, didn't it?"

She nodded, staring wide-eyed. Head nothing but heavy lust.

Their knee slid forward, pushing her up into their thigh.

"Well, you want this so badly?" They chuckled, tilting her head up with the sharp of their thumb. "Then ride."

She needed no further instruction, grinding down into the taut of their thigh. Gasping into her pleasure, already delirious. Their hands still around her throat and wrists a promise of danger.

"That's good." They purred, licking a stripe up the curve of her ear. "Little whore of a beast."

Her cunt clenched hard, a soft whimper leaving her. Already wild with debauched heat. Their thigh wet with her. The smell of her arousal on their fur a primal demand.

"Oh, you like that, do you?" They laughed again, voice so deep it shook the shell of her ear. "Rubbing your scent on me, marking me. Well it works both ways, sow."

Their hand left her wrists to push between them, gathering a pull of her slick onto their long fingers. Spreading it between two fingers with a sharp smile.

"This is mine now."

They arced their hand up their own throat, smearing her into the side of their neck.

Her orgasm crashed into her, buckling her into them. Crying out into jerks of her hips, pleasure unwinding her at her very core.

"Very good." They smiled. "I've shown quite the restraint. You, on the other hand..."

She smiled, body still jolting in aftershock.

"Ah, but restraint is short-lived. And I'm still very hungry." They growled. Sliding down onto their back. Pushing her thighs up to straddle over their face.

"Sit."

She stared down, eyes wide again.

"I said." They yanked down on her thighs. "Sit. Now."

She fell into their mouth, the underside of their skull pushing into her lower belly. Sharp teeth scraped into the soft skin of her thigh on her descent.

Their tongue pushed fully inside her, stretching up and back. Impossibly long. The base grinding into her clit while the tip pulsed into her g-spot.

"Fuck!" She cried out, already tremoring hard. Winding her hands around their antlers as a meager anchor.

Blackwood grunted and huffed at the pull on their antlers. Eyes burning up into her. Suddenly having an upper hand, she smiled. Giving an experimental tug.

They moaned, cupping her ass in both hands. Digging talons into the globes.

Soaked in near unbearable pleasure, she directed their head into a rocking from their antlers. Puppetering her demise.

Their hips bucked up in time to her pulls, tongue fucking with her. Lip curling up into a pleased snarl as she rode their mouth. Tongue unbelievable in its form.

"Oh god, I'm already-" She choked.

They slapped her ass. Demanding. Their other descending behind her to rub into themself. Eyes glazed with lust below her. Tongue working into a frenzy.

She crumpled into herself as her second orgasm hit, sure that she would've collapsed forward if their skull wasn't pushed against her.

They quickly flipped her onto her belly as it struck. Hiking her hips high into the air to grind into her backside.

She pushed back into them, moaning into the mattress. A low chattering huff rose into a bugle at her back as they came. A haunting scream of a call that shook her eardrums.

They fell back into an open slump, head thrown. Panting in hard huffs. Small calls near wails rising from their chest. Diaphragm hitching.

Merricat wrapped around them, turning her face into their chest. Gasping out her own smaller calls.

They buried themself into her, holding around her back with desperate tenderness. Both cradled in the quiet of pleading arms.

"I can't stay." Their deep voice heavy with regret.

"I know." She murmured, feeling their body already starting to slide away. Fingers dipping in shifting dark.

"I'll be back." They promised in a rush, voice husky in its brevity.

"Good. I'll be waiting." She smiled, pulling back. Leaning up on the tips of her knees to quickly kiss them and take a ribbon from her wall. Tying it to a prong.

"Find your way back to me, Blackwood." She whispered as they slid away, black water lost in between her fingers. Leaning forward to brush their lips against hers as they dissipated into the air.

"Hurry back." She hushed into the open night.

Sighing out a laugh as the thunderstorm finally hit her roof.

"I'll pray for rain, okay?"

~

[greenhorn-art]

World Champions | Artwork for World Champions by TheDefenestrator by TheDefenestrator, art by Blurb_brain

Fandom: The King's Avatar | 全职高手

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Category: Gen

Words: 71 944

At the end of season 4 of the Glory Pro Alliance, the government finally receives the information it has been waiting for: The other players have caught up. Or, In which Glory has been a government recruitment ploy for remote-piloted mecha operators all along.

About the Book

FONTS: Mundo Serif, Azonix [dafont], Segoe UI Symbol

IMAGES: Illustration by Blurb_brain [AO3]; cover image by NASA ID: 440611 [Rawpixel]; Planet Earth background ID: 6331593 [Rawpixel]; Circuit lines background ID: 3117935 [Rawpixel]; endpapers' image by Eric Eastman [Unsplash]; Swoksaar, Desert Dust, Lord Grim, Vaccaria, and Cloud Piercer [The King's Avatar Wikia]

MATERIALS: regular printer paper (8.5"x11", 96 bright, 20lb), 80pt bookboard, Iris Bookcloth (colour: Black Pearl), Neenah cardstock (8.5"x11", bright white, 65lb), waxed linen thread (white, 30/3 size), embroidery floss (shades 3750, 350, 3845, 370), leather cording (1.9mm diameter), Reeves’ acrylic paint (Mars Black, Phthalo Blue, Titanum White), Americana acrylic paint (glow in the dark), ph neutral pva glue (Books by Hand)

PROGRAMS USED: Typeset in Affinity Publisher, cover/title page/endpapers designed in Affinity Designer/Photo, QR codes generated with LibreOffice Writer, PDF arranged for printing with Bookbinder-JS

BINDING STYLE: quarto, case bound (slightly rounded, with oxford hollow, forgot to use tapes)

.

Fenes' "Glory's tech isn't handwaved" AU. This was great! Funny and creative, and I'm both amazed and full of admiration for Fenes' ability to juggle so many characters.

I was feeling excited and ambitious with this one. Tried some new fun things (double core endbands, painted edges) and used some new equipment (a lying press).

The Text

TITLE/HEADINGS FONT: Azonix says 'SciFi' to me, it's a bold, non-serif, sleek font.

BODY FONT: Mundo Serif, it's a decent serif body font I haven't used before. Felt like it worked with Azonix.

SCENE BREAKS: a special character in Segoe UI Symbol of a black & white icon of Earth, the globe showing Asia.

TYPESETTING: Finished typesetting the fic, left document open on my laptop, laptop's battery failed, file now crashes immediately upon reopening, issue persists with copied versions of file (；￣Д￣) . Thankfully I had a backup file for the typeset with the barebones of the text, so I didn't have to restart from scratch...

Title Page

My thinking: it takes place in space, the world's at stake, and it's the dawn of a new horizon for Earth. Glory and the titular champions are represented by Swoksaar, Desert Dust, Lord Grim, Vaccaria, and Cloud Piercer – the captains of what I'd call the 'big 5' teams. A circuitry board background element hints at the tech/mecha nature of the story's competition. It may not match Blurb's art, but I hope I was able to convey some of what the story is about.

The circuitry image is used as decoration throughout the book. I only used the avatars of the top five teams' captains because too many silhouettes would lessen their impact and readability. (Removing the backgrounds was tedious, but worth it.)

Here's what it should have looked like. The test prints for this and the BB art were fine, but I think my inkjet started running out of ink just when I printed the final copies and I didn't reprint them. (Too impatient, really wanted to finish up and read the book)

The Cover

World Champions is another Big Bang fic, and once again I based some of my design choices off of the accompanying artwork. The dominant colours of Blurb_brain's illustration are red and blue-green.

COVER PAPER: For the decorative cover material I used NASA's ASTER image of Poyang Lake. NASA has some really interesting photography some of which remind me of marbled paper, thought it could be interesting. I chose this image of Poyang Lake because 1) it's in China, 2) the colours were similar to Blurb's awesome illustration (fate strikes again, dropping matching images and artwork into my lap!), and 3) NASA is tangentially relevant to the fic, which takes place in space.

BOOKCLOTH: Verona bookcloth in the shade Black Pearl, a lovely dark navy blue colour. Thought it suited the cover paper and title page. (Bought it for this fic specifically, but the colour goes well with almost all of my decorative papers so it should see a lot of use in the future!)

Endpapers

The final decision that held this project at a standstill for two months. In the end I drew inspiration from the matchups against the final opponent in the story. The image I used is a little chaotic and a little too unrelated to identify why I picked it without an explanation, but this book is for me and I know why, so there. (Note that I played around with the colours and cropped the photo.)

Endpaper inspiration: the maps for the matches against the Infilhites

"a long bridge through an enormous tube-like hall, where light seem to come from every side through stained glass windows. It was visually confusing, limited lateral motion" "a warehouse, crates stacked on and beside metal racks that went all the way to the ceiling." "a house of mirrors, fully enclosed to be sure the Infhillte couldn’t fly out of it." "like a volcano, rivers of lava moving sluggishly down a slope, occasional vents of overheated air nearby." "a series of overlapping bridges between halls and stairways, level after level layered over an open abyss."

Trimming & Painting the Edges

Going all out, a 2-for1 deal: the opportunity to use my lying press for the first time and learn a new technique!

TRIMMING: Used a paring chisel and lying press.

CHISEL: The 1.25" wide paring chisel I used was form a modern manufacturer. (Vintage paring chisels are very thin, enough so that you can bend/flex the blade. But don't do that.) It's long and wide blade made it easier to register against the surface of the press for consistent cuts. Looks like this one below from Lee Valley.

LYING PRESS: My dad's project. Solid black walnut, hand carved screws and internal threads — he even made the tools to make the threads too! The jaws of the press are each 3 7/8" wide. It's big and heavy (though much smaller than full-sized professional ones omg), but there's enough of a flat surface to register the chisel against. A thicc boi, much like this one below from Bookbinding Supplies.

PAINTED EDGES: The idea was to have dark navy edges, speckled with white stars. I used acrylic from a tube to paint the edges — tutorials recommended it over liquid bottled acrylic, and I had an old set hanging around. Had to water it down because otherwise the paint just flaked off.

My test of trimming and painting went well. Then the trimmed book itself came out slightly crooked, the paint required significantly more watering-down than before, and the white paint did not want to be both opaque and speckle-able. Unfortunate, but still book-shaped! And now I have an idea of what to do differently next time.

Also, did not like the glow-in-the-dark paint. Looked too translucent in the light when compared to the white acrylic, and needed a thicker coat to be visible in the dark. (The thickness combined with the translucence and base colour kinda reminded me of boogers... Ended up scrapping most of it off, so there's not much left to glow.)

Endbands

Still in the mood to have fun and go all-out, I attempted double-core endbands for the first time.

TUTORIAL: YouTube @ BookbindersChronicle: Bookbinding 101 Sewing Headbands Session 2. Also watched @ DAS Bookbinding's Double-Core Endband // Adventures in Bookbinding, but I personally found Chronicle's closeup video easier to follow.

I used embroidery floss from a 100pk of assorted colours off Amazon, wrapped around a core of 1.9mm leather cording from Michaels. I drew from Blurb_brain's art for the general colours, choosing a dark base, with red, blue-green, and gold. The specific shades were picked to go with the cover.

[vvluvmai]

𝑭𝑺𝑴 ✩ 𝑮𝑹𝑬𝑬𝑫𝒀 𝑳𝑶𝑽𝑬

warn. Jealousy, pure fluff, implied fem bodied reader, mentions of feminine nicknames (my lady, etc), slightly ooc pantalone and childe? Mentions diluc Yanqing and childe.

sum. When the both of you are on a date and your friend happens to accidentally bump into you and all of your attention turns to them.

char. Jing Yuan, Kaeya, Pantalone.

wc. 1,981

⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ ☕︎⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯

𝐈 ✩ 𝐉𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐘𝐔𝐀𝐍

It came as a surprise when jingyuan had told you he had called off work for you, this was due to his feeling of you feeling lonely, and unloved.

A day made special just for the both of you, an entire day spent together, roaming around mindlessly, laughing in each other's embrace. It was a stress reliever for him, smiling and laughing till tears came rolling upon his eyes.

As the both of you walked to the restaurant where he had a spot specially reserved for you and him, a friend happened to spot you. Calling out and running to your presence, which successfully made you avert your gaze and attention to your friend, which was Yanqing.

What felt like hours were only a few minutes of talking, enough for jing yuan to glare at Yanqing, hoping it would be enough to make him leave. But all attempts came to no avail.

While he hadn't had the courage to speak due to you looking happier than ever, he wanted time alone with you, for it has been weeks since he has a proper conversation with you.

It took him awhile to build up confidence in order to confront you and him.

"I apologise yanqing but me and my beloved have places to be, I'd highly appreciate if you two would talk after. Would that be alright for you and Yanqing?" He turned to look at you, with the usual calm smile. Hoping you would agree with him. You blinked wide eyed, remembering that the both of you had a date "ah, yes, Me and my darling have a date together!, We may talk another time Yanqing, it was of great pleasure to talk with you." "Oh of course, I shall see you another time then (y/n)!, I gotta say general is a lucky guy to have a pretty lady such as you" he teased for fun, it was a harmless joke, with a shit-eating grin, he left in a hurry before the calmly annoyed could do anything. You chuckled at his jealousy "what, can't handle a few minutes of me talking with my friend?" "Those 'few minutes' felt like three hours.." he mumbled under his breath, loud enough for you to hear. "I suppose we should go, before someone else takes our spot yea?" "Of course my dear."

Safe to say, you made sure to tease jing yuan of the incident that night.

𝐈𝐈 ✩ 𝐊𝐀𝐄𝐘𝐀

There the favonius Calvary captain stood, with luxurious clothing adorning and flattering his body, the clothing of fine material shipped from nation to nation. Clothings he only wore on special occasions.

Today, was that special occasion.

A two month vacation off, to be spent with you, his darling, giving him and you undivided attention that the both yearned for since the moment of your relationship. Due to him being loaded with work, affection was less, since he came back tired and sleepy. Which you didn't mind, as long his pretty sleeping face kept you company, you didn't mind. But at times, you need his affection, his loving slick words, to come down and shower your longing soul with the happiness it begs. This he knew of, very well. He wanted to shower you with his grace, his undying love and his embrace, and these two months are gonna be just that.

The day after his vacation began, he had reserved a special location, a beautiful restaurant filled with loving flowers which bloomed and hit everyone with its alluring aroma, the special date places being filled with just the right amount of greenery. A candle at both sides, plates and utensils placed perfectly, with a beautiful, two roses, one light pink, the other red, in a glass. Hugged by each other's thorns and petals.

As he and you walked to the restaurant, a certain red hair happened to bump into the both of you. Apologising, not having the knowledge who it was until his eyes fell upon the two figures. "Ah, kaeya, y/n. A surprise meeting the two of you. What brings you to this restaurant?" He asked, having no intention of getting in between your date. While he did hate chit-chats, he wouldn't mind them on occasions, for today, he was having a surprisingly good day "oh nothing much brother, just treating my lady to a date." He said, his tone teasing as ever. Enough to fluster you "oh shut up" you spoke out of embarrassment.

Soon, both Diluc, you and kaeya had sat down, kaeya looking out the window, arms folded and his leg sitting on his knee. His eyebrows furrowed, annoyed. The small chit-chat had turned to a long convo of who knows what topic, he didn't care for it. All he wanted was to treat you to a long awaited date and now his brother had come in and swooped all you attention from him.

It was soon, well, later, til you realised that the date you had was late as the waiter came to your table, asking for if you would like a glass of water. "Oh no, it's okay sir! I apologise diluc, we could continue this conversation another time hm? I have a date to attend." "Oh of course (name), I apologise if I have made the two of you late." He quickly said, looking at kaeya, who had a scowl resting on his face. He stood as soon as his ears picked up on the words the both of you said. "Yes, yes, I suppose so. See you later, brother." His tone was impatient and annoyed as his eyes looked down upon diluc's.

As you bid goodbyes, kaeya walked you to the elevator, by which was graced by the god's to have no people inside of it. It was gonna be a long ride, since the place he had reserved stood at the very top, where the both of you can gaze the morning sky together. As the doors closed, his hands tugged at your waist, pulling you closer, you looked at him, confuse and naive to kaeya's sad yet calm face "you ought to give me kisses this night." He said, kissing your face and neck with his soft lips. "Awh what did I doo" you moaned, with a smile he oh-so-adores "oh don't act foolish now, you totally just forgot we had a date." He said with a slick and calming voice, not scolding or mad. Simply and slightly upset. "Oh dearie, you know i didn't mean thattt, I got carried away in the conversation, which is, by no means, an excuse, I will be sure to never make the same mistake hm?" Your arms hung loosely around his shoulders, your eyes dreamy and dazed as you took in his prettiness, kissing him. As the kiss broke, you spoke, still dreamy "I can't believe I will have you all for myself for two whole months.." kaeya chuckled as he cupped your face. "Someone clearly can't get enough of me today hm?" "Kaeyaa, don't ruin the moment!"

By the time kaeya could get another word out, the both had reached their destination. "Well that was a short ride." He said, stepping out the elevator. He kneeled half way, taking your hand and bowing "shall we, m'lady?" You let out a chuckle, with a response "of course, gentleman."

𝐈𝐈𝐈 ✩ 𝐏𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐀𝐋𝐎𝐍𝐄

A head rested gently against pantalone's shoulder, eyes closed and a small smile flattering the woman's, his girlfriend, face. Dressed in fine white silk, and jewellery brought by the ever-loving pantalone, laid perfectly on your body. Your hands and body leaned against him, as his arm was wrapped around you, ensuring you got the warmth in the cold car. Which you purposely made cold by turning on the AC, just to use the excuse of being close to your lover.

It was no surprise he had understood this, after all, he is the mighty and intelligent harbinger of the fatuus. The calm and loving moment was cut short as the driver announced you had reached the desired destination. To which pantalone immediately walked out the car, just to come to your side of the car, to graciously open the car door and take your hand to escort you to the palace like dining restaurant. You took his hand in offer, leaving the car and thanking the fatuus driver, as the both of you were walking into the restaurant, you spoke in a gentle soft voice he loved "oh pantalone, how many times must I tell you that you mustn't spoil me with your riches" he had heard these same words several times throughout his relationship with you, chuckling, he responded "my beloved wife shall only have the finest places snezhnaya can offer." He said in his usual velvety voice, used only around you. The little nickname he had used in his nickname had made you blush, little reds creeping up your cheeks. Noticing this, pantalone took up the chance to tease, which was interrupted by someone.. "Regrator! What are you doing here at a time like this?" Annoyed as he understood the voice of the person, who was, his colleague, childe… he spoke in a rather uninterested tone "Just taking my fine lady out for a dinner, I shall be asking the same question for you, tartaglia." His eyes fell upon childe's, which was looking at you, not in a romantic way, but as friend he has known way. "Oh just meeting a friend" not interested in a chit chat, he hadn't responded, but you had. "Oh childe, how must your family be doing? Are they doing fine?" You questioned, "they are quite fine actually, unfortunately I have heard teucer had a little accident while playing, but he will be fine in no time." He responded in the enthusiast tone pantalone hated so much. "That is relieving to hear, I believe we do not have the time to spare for a little chit-chat, would that be right dear?" Pantalone spoke, interrupting your talk, "ah yes, I'm sorry childe but I shall get going, we have a little date here" you giggled, your arms around pantalone's in a married like fashion. "Of course of course, by all means, have fun. I will be going too as well, see you sometime later (name)!" Childe said, waving a bye as he ran out the restaurant in a hurry.

At the hearing of your name slipping out childe's mouth was enough to make him groan, annoyed and dissatisfied. It was only after pantalone had came out from the register, you had teased pantalone about his annoyed face. "Someone's jealous" pantalone rolled his eyes in a playful manner as the both of you stepped into the elevator "I wouldn't say jealous would be the right word.." pantalone grumbled. "Oh then what would be, greedy of his possesion?" You chuckled out, pantalone smirked, the smirk you knew and hated, knowing that he's about to do something to you "pantalone, wait!- wait! No that tickles!" You said as you broke into a fit of giggles and laughter, the moment he stopped, he had kissed you with a sigh. "I feel as if I'm in debt to the Gods for gifting me with a such a gem like you." He sighed out "I feel too that i was blessed with such a wonderful loving husband like you" you said hugging him, as the nickname rolled out your tongue so perfectly.

This he noticed, blushing slightly, he looked away. Murmering loud enough for you to hear "I prefer if you'd call me that again." You slapped him lightly on the chest playfully "oh shut up, husband" he chuckled as he lead you to the single table, with two chairs. And a starry night with the moon sharing it's rays with the couple as the both sat down, enjoying the cold yet warm night.

copyright © @https-y2kcom | all works belong to @https-y2kcom, do not steal, plagiarise, copy, post to other social media without the consent of the original author.

Tags: @mikacynth @kaelily heheh kaeya simps

This is my first fic so pls don't be mean lmao, headers belong to me and are made by me :) art is from the genshin manga website and some are from in game!!

[adobe-outdesign]

Has wormadam been reviewed yet?

(Mothim has already been done here.)

Burmy is a pretty fun concept. The line is based off bagworm caterpillars, which, as the name implies, build little cases around themselves using whatever materials they can find as a form of camouflage. Burmy's different cases don't affect anything at this stage, just changing depending on battle environment, but they come more into play with Wormadam later on.

Visually, I like the look of the different cases, but I find the body structure to be a bit weird, with a long structure coming off the top of the head and a vaguely beak-like mouth. It's one of those things where the body shapes start to become a bit too abstract for my taste.

autism creature

As for the cases, I find myself liking the sandy cloak form the best. The plant cloak is fine but lacks a clear structure, and the trash cloak looks nice but doesn't really read as trash (plus the fact that it's insulation raises questions, like how you're able to get this form in PLA).

Wormadam is female-only, which is accurate to actual bagworms; the females remain wingless after pupating and stay in their cases, while the males become winged moths.

I do like Wormadam's design a lot more than Burmy's. The head structure looks less odd, the long pointed beak works a lot better especially with how it pokes out over the top of the casing, and they don't have the weird "legs" that the plant and trash Burmys had. Between the three, the trash is nicest visually but still kind of struggles conceptually, while the plant is strongest overall.

Wormadam also expands on the line conceptually; the cloak is now a permanent part of their bodies, and influences what typing they become—grass for plant cloak, ground for sandy cloak, and steel for trash cloak. I feel like the steel typing's a little out of place for fiberglass installation, but then again I'm not sure what type would make sense other than normal or something.

This mechanic is my only real problem with Wormadam—the idea is that the cloak becomes part of their bodies, but it still looks like it's just inside of a cloak. I wish that this could've been reflected in the designs more, like making the cloak cover the entire body so only the eyes poke out or something. Not a huge deal, just something that might've helped it out conceptually.

Anyway, overall, some great concepts here with decent designs. I'd honestly like to see more forms in the future; now that the games are more open-world, it would be neat to get a snow cloak form after battling in a wintery environment or something.

[poomphuripan]

rosyspell doesn’t have the special chapters of pbd. would you be able to summarize them? 💞💞

hi nonnie! of course i'd be happy to (o゜▽゜)o☆

full disclaimer: my knowledge of 188 novels is still limited so i might not cover all of the special chapters, these are just the ones i've been able to read/know due to the handful of vietnamese/english translations i've been accessible to.

so there are generally a lot of official extras: the written word extra chapters, additional material like interview with the characters, official chibi/cartoon au... which is why for this post i'll just focus on summarizing the post-canon extra chapters. i'll also be linking a few translations i found.

Post-canon extra chapters of Professional Body Double

(i read all of these post-canon extra chapters through a vietnamese translation here, you can google translate and get the gist of them)

Daily life a couple: Ming is sulky at Joe for always being so busy with work because he's busy himself but he can always spend time with Joe while Joe has a lot of projects to film. Joe coaxes Ming by agreeing to go on a short trip with him to the beach. They have kinky sex on the beach.

Period of Happiness: Joe surprises Ming by returning home early from his work trip. Joe hears the sounds coming from the bedroom while Ming quickly turns off what he was watching. Joe got curious so he secretly looks at what Ming had been watching, turns out Ming was watching old films which Joe 1.0 starred in. Joe feels conflicted, a bit envy of his old face, is kinda forlorn and down mood. Next morning, Ming notices something's wrong with Joe and apologizes profusely to Joe for watching films of Joe 1.0 while Joe is like it's fine (he was in fact, not fine). In the evening, Joe tells Ming he's gonna take a walk outside but Ming got all paranoid that Joe is still mad at him and starts crying and begging him to stay, promising he'll never watch films of Joe 1.0 again if Joe stays (all this kid knows is how to beg and cry lawd). Joe is like no he's just worried that Ming cannot fully accept his new look compared to his old one. Ming was like no he should be the one worrying here, worrying that one day Joe can get upset and leave him without saying goodbye like Joe once did. Ming does regret that he's never had a picture taken with Joe 1.0 but promises that he only loves the current Joe in front of him. They had hot emotional sex after resolving their conflict.

Injured Xiang-Ge: Joe gets injured on set and broke his rib a little bit. Ming immediately flies home to see Joe and take care of him. Ming expresses his fears and worries about what if one day Joe hits his head and lose all conciousness of Joe 1.0 or if Joe 2.0's soul return to this body. Joe reassures Ming that he will be more careful later on when filming.

New Year Vacation: A snowstorm hit the set where Joe is filming, causing a delay in production. Joe messages Ming to coax him about not being able to come back home in time to celebrate Lunar New Year with him. Ming surprises Joe at the hotel where he was staying to celebrate new year with him.

Jealous Little Gong: Ming is jealous over the news reporting about Joe's new film and dating rumors with his actress co-star. Joe is being sickenly sweet trying to coax Ming.

Summer Limited (adapted audiodrama here): famous actor Joe is invited to Italy for Milan Fashion Week, Ming is somewhere in Europe working around the same time so he received an invitation to the FW by the organizers to walk with Joe. Ming surprises Joe with his appearance and they're all lovey dovey with their public appearance at Joe's hesitance because it's implied that Ming's father still disapproves of his gay son.

Vacation in Munich in 2018 (english tl here): Joe takes some time off acting when he's at the height of his career to travelled with Ming to Germany where Ming is supposed to be working there for some time. They take a walk around the city one day and run into a female acquaintance of Ming. Basically Ming teases Joe about whether he's jealous, they're just being lovey and dovey bantering.

English translations of official AUs

ABO AU - read here Sentinel & Guide AU - read here

[bladekindeyewear]

HS^2 bloggin’ mainline 2024-08-04

(Previous post - current page 440)

Breaktime's over, it's about time to continue! Expect me to take a handful of days between each posting-day like this just to pace myself, and have time for fun video games and other such. But I've been really enjoying finally reading more HS2 too, especially seeing such hopeful stuff like this last pair of pages really hitting home on the optimism! Let's get back to it.

Meanwhile...

Wait did we SEE her keel back over like this? Alt!Callie in this younger/teenage corpse of Jade Harley's body I mean? When did that happen? *thumbs back through old pages...* Let's see here... my browser still glitches the fuck out seizureways at the few pages that were Blacked Out, so i'll use a backup browser for those... no, further back... oh wow I forgot Aradia got such a cool Calliope-supporting outfit to show off she's on their side, literally zero memory of that and that's some FINE drip...

Oh shit wait, so it happened back over here??? (289/290)

--I figured back then she'd gotten a snap headache because of having to abandon possessing Jade's MAIN body in the struggle Alt!Calliope had with Jade's consciousness culminating around page 168, but these cuts are all so far apart-- and being knocked out of the other Jade's body shouldn't have knocked her out of this CORPSE. So is somethign entirely NEW going on that has to do perhaps with Dirk Strider's plans to maintain control of the narrative when the other kids arrive there?? Hmmm.

Anyway now I know where that bonus panel I'd accidentally glimpsed with "god-tier bodies don't decompose right" that I mentioned last blogging session came from. But why the fuck?

==>

Gosh I've missed seeing panels like this.

Wait, why are we cutting to CANDY JOHN like that's relevant here? Wasn't he in Roxy's secret lab last we saw him? Does THAT have something to do with this?! Oh shit.

(John: Investigate noise.)

Following Roxy's instructions, you proceed in the direction of the noise to go and meet up with your old friends. You approach where you thought you heard them, but to your surprise you hear an unfamiliar voice grumbling something incoherent.

JOHN: uhhh, rose? jade? JOHN: ... kanaya?

Hm? What was going on upstairs again, Karkat met up with the other liberators right? Okay let me not be so lazy and go back and check again...

Excuse me for a second, I'm going backwards to review and post some older HS2 stuff for a bit:

No they left, then John came from his destroyed old house to his and Roxy's NOT-old house, then they transportalized downstairs to the secret lab buried "hella underground" not directly under the house, where Calliope is wearing... suspiciously the EXACT new outfit that Aradia is wearing, and gives her hints that she enjoys all sorts of alternate stories like watching Roxy be in a relationship with John here in Candy instead of with herself in Meat, and added fuel to our obvious theory suspicions that Meat Alive Calliope is the author-narrator shaping the (Candy) timeline with her wall drawings and Muse of Space powers, and that they are... standing in the location in their reality that corresponds to the exact center of the singularity / black hole they're trying to stabilize? I'd forgotten about that... and then Calliope told John that alt!Calliope and Aradia and such had broken out of the black hole's event horizon for their mission, while Calliope explained that (Candy)'s timeline is so WEIRD because they've been disconnected a little TOO much from the canon of reality, like a fanwork that strays a little too far from the source material, so they need to stabilize it somehow AND NEED VRISKA (to either steal some relevance back from Canon or to get swapped there with something else or, something else we might have theorized?) but I had plumb forgotten that they SPECIFICALLY say that for their plans to work they needed John to leave and do something:

ROXY: this is finally where u come in jegbert ROXY: we gots quests for yous CALLIOPE: hee hee, yes. CALLIOPE: or *a* quest, to be specific. JOHN: oh boy!

ROXY: i mean yeah ur gonna obvs facilitate it in a sense ROXY: but only by going and busting the person who can actually help us outta normal earth jail CALLIOPE: we need yoU to free vriska from the clUtches of oUr misgUided friend jane, and bring her here, to the singUlarity. ROXY: weve been calling it the plot point CALLIOPE: yes, the plot point is a key part of oUr plan. CALLIOPE: as far as we have been able to sUrmise, the only remaining method for escaping oUr grim confinement depends on leveraging the UniqUe properties of this location to create an event of sUch catalcysmic proportions that it simply cannot be contained within the black hole any more. CALLIOPE: something SO dramatic, so hyper-relevant, that it becomes ontologically impossible for anyone to ignore it. CALLIOPE: for that, we need an individUal of sUfficient narrative cloUt, so to speak.

Right, Vriska's constant focus on making herself one of the most relevant characters to Canon and her powerset actually making her perfect TO do that as a Thief of Light (relevance/importance) makes that a good plan. And I fully expected one possibility was that they somehow allow her to break through to the Canon Meat timeline and both (1) influence it some way, and (2) get to a place where she could eventually reunite with Terezi Pyrope finally instead of just having left her a parting message, which may or may not happen if Meat Terezi is going to focus possibly a bit more on her relationship with John(June) once somehow resurrected or such but would definitely be amazing to have them reunited when Terezi spent SO MUCH TIME looking for her that she wasn't even part of the (Candy) timeline of events? Enough re-theorizing let me keep re-reading-- And... oh right,

CALLIOPE: and to liberate her, who better than the embodiment of the aspect of freedom itself?

I'm sure I was happy as hell to see that explicitly spelled out in canon for once instead of implied, because it may have been obvious to those of you who follow theoryblogs but one of the big reasons I'm glad to see these things made more explicit out in HS^2 is so even casual readers can pick up that these aspects always had these additional more important purposes that line up with all the events that happened in the past of the original comic.

But anyway. John's about to go on his bust-Vriska-out-of-prison quest:

And it's not like he has other plans. He may as well do this! It's at least going to get him involved in things again, if nothing else. He turns to go, and then hears a sound. It's the sound of feet and knocking on doors, echoed through stone and digital static.

And then,

JOHN: did you hear that? ROXY: wha ROXY: oh yeah uh ROXY: i may have messaged rose and kan and jade to check on them too ROXY: so its prob onea them showin up ROXY: they don't need to know bout all this tho ROXY: we got time to chat with them b4 u go get vriska JOHN: i'll go stall em. ROXY: thx babe ROXY: oh is it 2 soon for that joke or JOHN: no, weirdly enough, that one's fine. ROXY: oh good ok see u up there soon!

And that's where we left off-- wasn't it their kids' team who got back into their house or something? Eh I'm done looking, now I at least know there was A NOISE that was playing through the monitors from the topside of their house above the teleporter that he's running to intercept.

Okay, past catch-up over. Back to present liveblogging. Looks like this isn't Rose and Kanaya like John expects, from the sound of it-- but the way John's running down a hallway makes it look like this is INSIDE OF THE LAB STILL, so the question is who is down here or CAME down here or...

(==>)

Oh, Sollux is helping Roxy and Calliope out with their project, playing on Roxy's pink retro consoles. That shouldn't actually be too shocking should it.

Wait, how is he playing video games if he's BLIND? Robo-eyes? It's gotta be robo-eyes.

(==>)

Stare

(==>)

Sandwich stare

(==>)

SOLLUX: eating a sandwich.

Brilliant. And yeah he lives here-- but he's actually LOOKING at stuff isn't he, with eyes of some sort? Even though he's still using the 0 quirk? Tell us what's up with that!

(==>)

John stop thinking this is a relationship between Sollux and Roxy, your divorcee/ex. Unless it is, which would be pretty cool honestly.

(==>)

SOLLUX: y0u w0rried im m0ving in 0n y0ur ex? JOHN: ...hmm. SOLLUX: ... JOHN: hm. hmm. hm. JOHN: hm? HMMMM. SOLLUX: what is g0ing 0n here. JOHN: sorry, i had an answer but then i started actually considering it. JOHN: am i jealous? JOHN: hmmm... SOLLUX: if i tell y0u straight up n0 we arent h00king up will y0u st0p? JOHN: ...maybe? SOLLUX: g0ddammit.

I'm really enjoying all this for some reason.

JOHN: are you still hanging out with that creepy alive girl? SOLLUX: SOLLUX: 0n a spiritual level. JOHN: cool! JOHN: is ... she also dating roxy? SOLLUX: what? SOLLUX: idk.

I'm pretty sure I get excited at the idea of literally ANY relationship potentially happening between all these characters I love.

(==>)

Oh no John is offloading his personal problems on him in longform conversation. He doesn't want that! XD

JOHN: and it only changed because i started talking to people again. SOLLUX: (i did this t0 myself why did i ask) JOHN: i guess in gamer terms it's the same as screwing yourself over by not checking every non playable character dialogue box. JOHN: any one of them could have the clues you need.

Feels kind of like we're doing the thing from that Steven Universe: Future episode where Steven is critically upset that important things happened in the lives of his friends offscreen somewhere he wasn't around to be aware of it, when realistically as a person you can't keep up with everything, especially not John who kept to himself in a slump for a decade as he puts it in some of the conversation I'm not fully requoting.

Okay Sollux dunks on John a bit, possibly deservedly... and to some extent, in a misogynist gamer phrasing typical to Sollux, John's lack of agency? Which I think would improve somewhat once the gender issues Roxy alluded to both upstairs and in the lab with him are resolved in part, because he can't be FULLY comfortable swept up in a relationship while he's still considering herself "he"...

SOLLUX: i have n0t been able t0 play this game the wh0le time because s0me0ne was talking 0ver the s0und. JOHN: oh! JOHN: sorry : (

Oh he's been using sound-only and audio assistance to play the game like a speedrunner almost instead of seeing it. That explains that.

(==>)

I don't quite understand the shape of that thing to the right of Sollux's head, like there's some sort of watermark over it WAIT THAT'S A DOOM SYMBOL WATERMARK TAKING UP MOST OF THE FRAME WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON HERE

SOLLUX: w0rds d0nt mean much. SOLLUX: 0nly acti0ns.

(This is a perfect sort of thing someone for someone on the Life/Doom spectrum to say, which would be MUCH MUCH HARDER for someone on the Light/Void spectrum to say or especially a Light player. Doom being about the consequences of one's actions in part and all.) Is he about to use some Mage of Doom powers visibly onscreen?

(==>)

Ohhh. So he was making a dramatic Doom Prophecy that will matter to John's choices in the future if he heeds the right lessons, while also hinting toward the nature of Doom itself as I covered. Got it. That's fun! Also it was a pink cat pillow behind his head, that's the thing I was having so much trouble seeing.

(==>)

SOLLUX: WAIT. JOHN: !

He's gonna ask him to pass him a soda from across the room or something.

(==>)

SOLLUX: change my game f0r me.

This is so cute.

(Be Vrissy.)

GODDAMNIT JAILBREAK AGAIN LOL

Vriska the elder has decided to take it upon herself to test if you measure up to the arduous task of being a Vriska. For your first test: find a way to bust out of this dump. What will you do?

Stop judging her on your stupid Vriska standards, Vriska! I hope the way this plays out eventually plays straight into the idea that this very-Vriska-like-but-not-quite-Vriska individual has her own unique strengths. I'm not sure I mentioned it earlier, but when I said that it's possible that Vrissy is a Mind player, I'm actually really excited to see the comic demonstrate that (regardless of whether or not Vrissy is or isn't completely genetically identical to Vriska) because not only would it be a good lesson for the original Vriska that Vrissy has her own value, it's also a great Classpect demonstration of how the difference in their characters and action styles amounts to a different effect on reality in the form of a Hero Title that is different...

...and in fact now that I think about it, even though it may have rubbed me just slightly wrong somewhere inside that Vrissy and Vriska could have different Hero Titles even if they WERE genetically identical, I'm actually gonna turn around and say I've decided I love that, because if Sburb gives the genetically identical Vrissy a different title and she unlocks a different powerset purely because of the unique combination of nature *AND* nurture that resulted in her, that would emphasize much more properly that Sburb isn't FORCING or pigeonholing you into a Hero Title that doesn't suit you, it really is reading into your future and soul to tell you THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY you PERSONALLY would find right to influence reality around you. That makes the lesson of its title assignment and the answer to the Ultimate Riddle that I've long discussed a STRONGER answer, not a weaker one.

And I'm encouraged by the very first thing Vrissy tries being something the original Vriska would NEVER have tried first, which Vriska over here probably is gonna be snide/discouraging about:

(Vrissy: Call for help.)

Have we SEEN their chumhandles before? I feel like we've seen Vrissy's before at least-- "adamantGriftress" is an awesome chumhandle for her, and I know for SURE I've already seen thespiansGlamor as Harry Anderson's. Who the fuck is glutinousGymnast, is that Yiffy's handle, and what does glutinous mean again?!?? (I had to google it just in case, it's New Tavros's handle. Glutinous is "like glue in texture; sticky.", often referring to sticky rice or baking dough. Ew. Stickiness sort of implies the opposite of Breath doesn't it...? And he's a gymnast?)

Now. Who the fuck is "recidivousGainsayer"? Vrissy didn't know Yiffy existed, so she wouldn't have her in her phone already unless they'd been internet friends without knowing each other personally, which would be... kinda sweet really. And Yiffy is certainly rebellious, but she seems more recalcitrant than recidivous, though I can't rule it out, especially since she's basically grown up at a boarding school; a quick google to see if we'd seen the chumhandle before also highlighted someone commenting that "RG" doesn't follow the ACGT DNA pattern, and even if you switch to RNA it just swaps the T with a U. Could be that this is a chumhandle of one of the characters we had been following over in the Bonus Comics or something.

You're pretty sure that would be an automatic fail on Vriska's test. But even if it wasn't, it isn't like you could message anyone; not anyone worth talking to anyway. There's no service in here, the only bars you've got are the ones on the windows.

Yeah, Vrissy at least knows Vriska well enough to know what she'd approve and disapprove of most broadly, unfortunately. I hope she comes to understand how Vriska should really not be her role model.

Oh not this again--

(Vrissy: Get key.)

Vriska drew this shitty key on the floor "juuuuuuuust in case you need a reminder of what you should be working towards ::::)."

Vriska, you asshole!

(Vrissy: Try the door.)

You fruitlessly pull on the bars. Vriska says it looks like it's still locked. Yeah???????? No shit, you tell her. You're just trying to see if you can get a guard's attention. She says ooooooooh that's a good idea.

If you don't keep complimenting her I'm going to be very cross with you, Vriska.

Hm, it'd be really fitting and interesting if Vrissy Mindgames her way out of this one by putting on a façade of distress and convincing the guard to barge in, maybe saying Vriska's escaped or such.

(Vrissy: Get a guard's attention.)

One of those guards Jane intentionally had all dress like Dave to taunt Jane about Dave's death or just make them harder for her and Rose to stomach fighting, right.

Maybe you should use some of your SICKNASTY BRAIN EXPLOITABLES on this jabroni.

How much practice does she have with her psychic powers? All Aranea was able to do with Cerulean psychics on humans was get a vague sense of the emotions of people around her toward her like she always does, and Vriska WAS able to put a human to sleep or wake them in another universe but only when trying so hard that her Light symbol flashed in her eye, emphasizing that a Cerulean troll who WASN'T using the powers of a God-Tier Thief of Light wouldn't necessarily be able to do the same to a human. Stealing wakefulness or stealing through wakefulness, wakefulness being a part of Agency and thus Light, where Void is associated with sleep and dreams, et cetera. (Vriska put people (like Jade D:) to sleep FAR FAR MORE OFTEN than she woke them up, and when she woke John that one time it could have been considered "stealing THROUGH Light" because it deprived him of an opportunity in his dreams to meet his Dad as his dreamself just to give Vriska the selfish opportunity to speak with him at the exact time she'd wanted to speak with him.)

Also, if Vrissy DOES refer to her Cerulean mind powers as "sicknasty BRAIN exploitables" that does put Mind more in mind than usual... and exploitables could just be flavor or it COULD be a reference to EXPLOIT, the theoretical Knight/Page action verb?! --Nah that's probably a stretch.

(Vrissy: Use your Sicknasty Brain Exploitables.)

You apply the focused totality of your psychic power into this douchebag's cranium. Frustratingly, it looks like this guy is resisting your psychic enthrallment so he can get at that donut. Other than occasionally making Tavros dance when he's being boring, you honestly don't do this much.

Holy shit, if she could make New Tavros DANCE, this actually means that Vrissy has more control over human minds than Vriska ever had?!? That or New Tavros is uniquely impressionable, which is ALSO a possibility; the original comic itself emphasized that the "impressiona8le" were more vulnerable to her abilities... those who had less control or agency over themselves.

Also, Vriska had only just met her first humans when her psychic talents were limited to making them sleep-- Vrissy grew up alongside other humans, and that might just be enough for her to understand their minds enough to do some occasional manipulation.

Your mom is always like, "You Need To Listen To Me Vriska Its Important To Keep These Skills Honed In Case Shit Gets Real", but shit so rarely if ever gets real so mom should get OFF your CASE!!!!!!!! Until now, you guess. Wow do you hate realizing your mom was right about shit. ANYWAYS, LAY OFF THE FUCKING DONUTS AND GET OVER HERE ASSHOLE!!!!!!!!

On the one hand, it's unsurprising that Vrissy didn't keep her talents honed for battle or anything, and wouldn't have invested nearly as much energy into exploiting people with psychic powers as Vriska's twisted childhood forced her to; but on the other hand, like I said, this is STILL a bit more direct influence over humans than Vriska ever had, even if it's not working right now!

(==>)

Hell yeah!!!!!!!!

HOLY SHIT SHE ACTUALLY OUTCLASSED ORIGINAL VRISKA IN CONTROLLING A HUMAN MIND.

Is Vriska going to feel jealous?! Holy shit?!?? Or is this old hat for her now and she's gonna say she could do it all along, or a retcon along those lines or-- gosh just PLEASE I WANNA SEE VRISKA JEALOUS AS FUCK OF VRISSY'S PSYCHIC TALENTS PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE HAVE ORIGINAL VRISKA GO "WHOA HOW DID YOU DO THAT"

(Vriskas: Exit the cell.)

Damn that felt good. After locking up the guard you turn to Vriska and ask her what next. Vriska says that now it's time to fuck some shit up. You like the sound of that. You ask her if there's any specific shit or place she wants to go fuck up. She says you'll just walk around until you land somewhere cool. You both laugh. You ask her what her real plan is. She keeps laughing as she walks away.

That's definitely her real plan. But anyway-- UGH, missed opportunity here. I guess we're just supposed to take it as a given that if original Vriska had had enough time, or grown up more, she could do the same thing to impressionable-enough humans as she did to trolls too, or the like.

(==>)

ALARMS BLARING, GUARDS RUNNING-- yeah they didn't cause this, this is some other assault on the Jail, right?

Okay, that's a lot of goons. You suggest to Vriska that you should go the other direction. Vriska says nah this is definitely where we wanna be. She says between the two of you, you've probably got enough luck to take this whole place off the map if you really wanted. You ask her what the fuck she means by that. She says you know like with your Thief of Light powers. You tell her you don't have anything like that. She says huh, weird!

VRISKA WHY THE FUCK WOULD IT BE WEIRD, VRISSY DIDN'T PLAY THE GAME OR GO GOD-TIER, YOU DIDN'T KNOW YOU HAD LUCK-STEALING POWERS UNTIL YOU PLAYED THE GAME!!!

Wait, let's back up a sec.

Vriska is smart enough to know that you CAN tap into your Hero Title powers even if you're not someone who's hit God-Tier. As a gleaner of deep lore about the game, Vriska ALSO would put together that the powers you get in the game are inherent to you even before you PLAY the game if you're skilled enough or high up on your echeladder enough to access them, so even if she never Stole Light directly before she played Sgrub, she technically COULD have. Maybe she figures Vrissy, as a coincidental genetically identical alt-version of her, should have access to the same powers just by virtue of having the same genes and training from her Seer of Light Mom knowing she'd have that potential in her genetically, OR, hear me out--

Vriska has already let us know that she's PLANNING ON STARTING A NEW GAME SESSION which we all figure will include Vrissy and the other kids as the players, and Vriska probably figures those kids will be the players too!

So, and I know this is some 3D-chess assumption-maneuvering here and I might be way off base, just taking so much from this single exchange...

...My guess is that Vriska thinks Vrissy ought to ALREADY HAVE inherent Thief of Light powers deep inside her and untapped, because she thinks Vrissy is going to be a PLAYER and thus ALWAYS WOULD gain her powers! Powers which she, of course, would ASSUME would match hers given their genetic similarity-- she would ASSUME Vrissy would also be a Thief of Light.

Except that none of the way Vrissy has actually behaved has resembled a Thief of Light much at all, and Hero Titles are inherent to your PERSONALITY and its method of action of influencing reality around you... and we already have background hinting that matches MUCH closer to her character and her behavior/actions in dialogue with others that she may be a Mind player.

Vriska didn't scold Vrissy for not having tried hard enough to develop the Thief of Light abilities she ASSUMED were inherent to Vrissy. She instead seems confused that she's never manifested any, and said "huh, weird!". Despite the knots in her psychology, both Vriska's smarts and her hero title are likely hinting to her that there might be some flaw in her assumptions here-- something that's keeping this from being a sarcastic scolding and instead telling her something isn't right about the knowledge she thought she had at hand.

(==>)

Vriska says that's perfectly fine as she always prefers a challenge. Vriska Serket, the daring Thief of Light and her imitation kid Vriska sidekick against countless foes. Marquise Spinneret Mindfang leading her Neophyte Bluehair, it's a tale for th- w8 w8 hold the fuck up. You ask her what the fuck does she mean "imitation.

Of course, just because Vriska isn't going to be an asshole in that PARTICULAR direction was never any assurance that Vriska wasn't going to be an asshole. She still views (Vrissy) as the less important version of the original her, and she's still going to frame everything in that light because of course she would, it's still in her nature and she still hasn't fully learned her lesson yet.

(==>)

I'm at the image limit so I'm gonna hold off on posting Vriska's hilariously condescending greasy expression and Vrissy squinting hilariously absolutely having fucking none of it:

Vriska says to not let it get to you, but she's pretty much figured out that this whoooooooole timeline is phony. You know, inauthentic. Fake. Bogus even. She says it's somehow the off brand equivalent of a universe and she really hopes you kept the receipt. You assure her that both you and this timeline are in fact, real as shit. She doesn't seem convinced. She says it's mostly from the little things she's noticed. You ask like what, she's only been on this planet for like a day and a half. She gestures vaguely and tells you to give her a boost so she can reach that ventilation shaft.

Yeah, the way this version of reality isn't as tethered to Canon means Vriska isn't going to take it seriously-- she shares Dirk's view of the (Candy) timeline in that regard, really. And they BOTH are going to receive their comeuppance and learn their lesson.

Phew-- that image limit was a good sign, I was already hitting the limits of my energy for the day, that was hours of liveblogging and typing. I guess we'll leave off here until another day! As I said at the outset, I'm still going to be pacing myself and only doing liveblogging every few days like I mentioned, but that doesn't mean I'm not VERY MUCH enjoying this and very looking forward to where it's going. If I weren't liveblogging, I'd get there a lot faster, I assure you, but then you wouldn't get to see me go off on random Classpect tangents about stuff you already guessed! :D

See you in a few days!

[maxislvt]

hi! can i request gip reader with wanda. something with reader groping wanda until wanda gets too needy and starts pushing herself back into reader? basically reader dry humping wanda. can be a drabble, blurb, whatever :)

warnings: smut, cum play, masterbation, dry humping, wanda being repressed and needy

im so sorry this took forever, I hope you like it!

When you and Wanda first started dating, one thing became clear almost immediately. You had an incredibly high libido and Wanda couldn't always keep up with it. It wasn't a serious issue. If you absolutely needed to cum, you could just handle it yourself. Wanda had certainly gifted you with enough material to make it work. A video wouldn't always cut it though. Sometimes the only thing that could get you up was the feeling of Wanda's soft body. Her delicate fingers wrapped around your length or even just the warmth of her thighs. You were addicted to Wanda's body and nothing could make you ashamed of that.

As much as she liked to tease you for it, she loved it. Not just the sex, but it made her feel good knowing you wanted her just about every hour of the day. Even in your most submissive headspace, you were careful with how you treated her body and played with her. Part of her hated it though. Forever unused to your boldness and how you were so confident in claiming her. The way you would grope and grab her knowing you'd almost never be denied. It was embarrassing. So, she tried putting up a fight.

The two of you knew how your private movie night was going to end, with Wanda bent over the edge of the bed and fucked absolutely senseless. Whatever movie you two had picked would be forgotten for the sake of satisfying each other's lust. She'd give everything to you, of course she would. That didn't mean she'd simply hand herself over. Wanda wanted you to work for it.

Unfortunately, you were determined to get off unless Wanda had shown signs of genuine opposition. Not even halfway through the movie, you began to push her hips up and tease her. You pretended not to notice your girlfriend's obvious attempts at hiding her arousal. If she wanted to play hard to get, you'd gladly tag along. "Y'know, I'm really glad you picked this. It was the first movie we'd ever watched together." That wasn't entirely true, but you had already begun groping Wanda and she was too flustered to check you.

A sharp exhale came through Wanda's nostrils as she tried focusing on the movie in front of her. "Yeah…it's sweet when you think about it." Maybe it was, maybe it wasn't. All she cared about was the growing erection underneath her. The grip you had on her waist was bruising, but fuck did she love it. Her teeth sunk into her bottom lip to keep quiet. She couldn't let you win no matter what happened.

You knew your lover was playing hard to get. That wasn't a game well played in the thinnest pair of sleep shorts you'd ever seen her in and no underwear. All of Wanda's slick had practically dripped onto your shorts. "You can stop playing tough. I can feel how wet you are." Your hips rolled forward and you let out an exaggerated moan. "Just say the word and I'll give it to you."

Wanda forced her hips to stay still but you continued to hump her. "I won't…I won't let your little hard on ruin our movie night." A shaky moan escaped her lips and she began fisting the sheets. She could feel you throbbing underneath her. Wanda wished you were bold enough to just push her over and claim her. You definitely were, but instead you decided to be a tease. "You must not really need it since you seem fine just humping me."

"Well, I'd hate to distract you from that movie you seem to like so much." Eventually, you let go of Wanda and decided to pleasure yourself instead. "Go ahead, watch the movie. I can handle myself." You freed your dick from the confines of your boxers and began stroking yourself. Grinding against Wanda had already brought you close to the edge, all you needed was a little push and you'd be cumming in no time. You held the hem of your tshirts between your teeth and continued to jerk yourself.

Wanda groaned when you stopped humping her. Simply being groped wasn't enough. She felt so empty and unused. Her pride wouldn't let her admit that. Wanda didn't have the courage to speak until she felt a familiar sticky covering her ass. "I- Did you cum on my ass!?"

You chuckled softly and began smearing your cum over the soft flesh of Wanda's ass. "Well, it's my ass now."

[ashwritesmonsters]

If your requests are still open, then can I get a smug buff male demon and a shy chubby female reader? Rating grapefruit. With some dubcon and an emphasis on breasts.

Shy Chubby F!Reader x Smug Buff M!Demon

Note: Hey! Thanks for your request, it was actually a lot of fun to get back into writing some good ol' smut. Not sure how active I can be on this blog right now, but if anyone is okay with waiting then send your requests please! I really do enjoy writing them when I can; I've been doing a ton of writing lately, just not this kind of stuff, so it's nice to have a reason to come back to it. Also this is really long for a request tbh, I hope that's cool.

Content: Dubcon (honestly kinda light; I can't seem to stop making things end up cute and sweet) and breast play, as requested.

"It's called 'Temple of the Body?' Really?" You asked, immediately skeptical of any gym too fancy to have the word "gym" in its name.

"Yeah, it's a good gym! It's got everything you could ever need, it just happens to be in Honeycomb," Phoebe seemed a little too defensive of her gym of choice—you could practically hear her petals bristling—but the Dryad always was eager to convince you of things. "You know how Ishtar followers tend to wax poetic about stuff like that."

"Honeycomb isn't exactly a neighborhood that's nearby, Phoebe. It's almost on the opposite side of town from me."

"You'd rather work out alone than drive an extra…" Phoebe's taps on her phone screen as she mapped the route attacked your ear. "...fifteen minutes and have me as a gym buddy?"

"No, but…" You couldn't quite explain your apprehension. Of course, going to any gym was daunting, and needing to pay for a membership didn't help.

You chewed your lip, searching for the right words to express your unease. The idea of working out in Honeycomb, a neighborhood known for its devotion to Ishtar, sent a wave of anxiety through you. That was the only part of town where you had seen a community recreational center host "naked swim days" and let people post flyers advertising weekly orgies.

"It's just... Honeycomb is a bit... woo-woo, isn't it?" You finally managed, your voice barely above a whisper.

Phoebe's laughter sparkled through the phone. "Oh, come on! It's not like everyone's walking around naked or anything."

You winced, wanting to say "they kind of are." Honeycomb's reputation for body positivity and sensuality was well-known throughout the city. The thought of your softer curves standing out amidst a sea of chiseled abs and defined muscles made your stomach churn.

"I don't know, Phoebe. I'm not exactly... Honeycomb material." Your fingers absently plucked at the hem of your shirt, suddenly hyper-aware of the way it clung to your midsection.

"What are you talking about? Everyone starts somewhere!" Phoebe's voice softened, a hint of concern creeping in. "Is this about the whole Ishtar thing?"

You sighed, sinking deeper into your couch. "Maybe? It's just... you know how people are there. All touchy-feely and confident. I'm not sure I'd fit in."

"Hey, that's not fair. Ishtar followers aren't all about perfect bodies, you know. It's about loving yourself as you are."

Your skepticism must have traveled through the phone because Phoebe quickly added, "Look, why don't you visit on the next Tuesday—Trial Tuesday, when newbies can try it out—and see how you feel? Just because people in Honeycomb look nice and act confident doesn't mean they're douchebags. They do follow the goddess of love, after all."

You let out a long sigh, your resolve crumbling under Phoebe's enthusiastic persuasion. "Alright, alright. I'll give it a try. But just one visit, okay?"

"Yes! You won't regret it, I promise." Phoebe's excitement bubbled through the phone. "Oh, and don't forget to mention my name at the front desk. They know me there."

Your stomach twisted. "Wait, you're not coming with me?"

"Ah, about that..." Phoebe's voice took on an apologetic tone. "I've got a work thing that day. But you'll be fine! The staff there are super friendly."

Great. Now you'd be venturing into unknown territory alone. "Some gym buddy you are," you grumbled.

"You've got this," Phoebe assured you. "Text me after and tell me how it goes!"

The day of your gym visit arrived all too quickly. You stood in front of your bedroom mirror, tugging at the hem of your new workout top. The fabric clung to your curves in a way that made you both self-conscious and oddly confident. Turns out, all it takes to look like a gym goer is to put on gym clothes.

Your eyes traveled over your reflection, taking in the sight of your body wrapped in still-returnable athletic wear. The leggings hugged your thighs, accentuating their shape. You turned to the side, observing how the high-waisted band looked painted on to your stomach.

There were a couple things going through your mind; anxiety gnawed at the edges of it, whispering doubts about how you'd measure up in a gym full of the Honeycomb crowd and Ishtar followers. But beneath that, a strange note of confidence too. The outfit, despite its snugness, was incredibly comfortable, and knowing you'd be dressed the same as everyone else helped a bit.

You took a deep breath, squaring your shoulders. "It's just one visit," you reminded yourself, meeting your own gaze in the mirror. "You can do this."

Grabbing your gym bag, you headed for the door. The drive to Honeycomb seemed both endless and far too short. As you pulled into the parking lot of Temple of the Body, your heart raced. The building loomed before you, its architecture fitting in with the Honeycomb aesthetic to a tee; a stone facade covered in elaborate geometric inlays, flowering vines and planters, and—of course—nude relief sculptures of Ishtar. She didn't look like you at all.

You sit in your car for a moment, hands gripping the steering wheel. Part of you wants to turn around and drive home, but Phoebe's encouragement echoes in your mind, as does the potential nagging if you bail. With a final deep breath, you step out of the car.

The automatic doors slide open, unleashing a wave of cool air with a hint of lavender. You approach the front desk, where a smiling woman greets you; she definitely fits in with the Honeycomb crowd, her dyed blue hair and tattoos complementing her body, which definitely belonged in a gym.

"Welcome to Temple of the Body! How can I help you today?"

You swallow hard, willing your voice not to shake. "Hi, I'm here for a... a trial visit? My friend Phoebe recommended this place."

The woman's smile widens. "Oh, you're a friend of Phoebe's? Wonderful! Let me get you set up with a trial pass. Remember, there's no commitment and you can always come back next Trial Tuesday if you're still not sure."

You take a tentative step into the lobby, your eyes sweeping across the space. The interior of Temple of the Body is a far cry from the utilitarian gyms you've seen in your own part of town. Warm, earthy tones dominate the decor, with splashes of vibrant greens from potted plants scattered throughout the sandstone-like interior alongside more of those damn nude Ishtar statues.

As you peer into the main workout area, your breath catches in your throat. The first thing that strikes you is the sheer diversity of the clientele. Humans mingle with metahumans of all kinds—you spot a towering Minotaur spotting for a petite Naga on the bench press, while a group of Dryads lead a yoga class in a glass-walled room with poses that would kill you.

Your eyes are immediately drawn to the brawny. A human woman with abs you could grate cheese on effortlessly pulls herself up on a set of rings. Nearby, an Orc with biceps the size of your thighs curls a dumbbell that looks heavier than you.

But as you continue to scan the room, you spot a few bodies that look more like yours. A human man with a round, doughy build jogs on a treadmill, his face flushed but determined. In the free weights section, a literally thicker Dryad, her bark-like skin adorned with moss, performs squats with perfect form.

You watch as another group finishes up a class, laughing and chatting as they towel off and head to what is presumably the locker rooms. The camaraderie is palpable, with people of all shapes and sizes offering each other high-fives and chatting like old friends.

The receptionist gently touches your arm. "Would you like a quick tour before you start your trial session?"

You nod, still a bit conflicted. Everything you've seen so far is living up to Phoebe's promises, but the anxiety in your gut is far too resilient to be defeated this quickly.

"Great!" She looks around, eyes searching the gym floor, before finding her target and pointing at what you can only describe as a mountain of a Demon as he sits on a bench, absentmindedly scrolling through his phone. "That's Zeke, one of our personal trainers. He'll tell you all about the gym and guide you through your workout today, if you'd like."

"Uh…" You stammer. Everything and everyone has been welcoming so far, but you'd be lying if you weren't a bit intimidated by Zeke. Much of his deep crimson skin is on display thanks to his scant tank top and tiny shorts, crowned by a pair of curling onyx horns.

The receptionist notices your hesitation and gives you a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, Zeke may look intimidating, but he's a sweetheart. He's Phoebe’s trainer, and actually our most popular one for newcomers."

Before you can protest, she calls out, "Hey Zeke! Got a new member here who could use a tour."

The massive Demon's head snaps up at the sound of his name, and a broad grin spreads across his face as he spots you. He stands, his impressive height becoming even more apparent as he makes his way over.

"Hey there! I'm Zzikaerax, but you can just call me Zeke," he says, his voice a deep rumble that you can almost feel in your chest. "Welcome to Temple of the Body!"

You introduce yourself, your voice sounding small in comparison. Zeke's presence is overwhelming, not just because of his size, but because of the sheer energy he exudes. His crimson skin seems to radiate warmth, and his onyx horns gleam under the gym's lights.

"First time here, huh?" Zeke asks, leaning in close. You catch a whiff of something spicy and intoxicating. "Don't worry, I'll take good care of you."

The receptionist chimes in, "Zeke's a lust Demon, but don't let that worry you. He's all about helping people feel good about themselves and their bodies."

Zeke nods enthusiastically. "That's right! Nothing makes me happier than seeing someone fall in love with fitness and their own body. Sweat is just foreplay for success, as I always say."

As he speaks, Zeke places a large hand on your shoulder, guiding you towards the gym floor. His touch is warm, almost hot, and you're not sure if it's because of his demonic nature or if it's just your own nervousness causing you to fixate on the contact.

"So, what are your fitness goals?" Zeke asks, his face inches from yours as he leans down to hear your response. "Strength? Flexibility? Or maybe you just want to feel more confident?"

You stammer out a vague answer about generally just getting your heart rate up, acutely aware of how close Zeke is standing. Is this normal in Honeycomb? You know that followers of Ishtar tend to be more physically affectionate, but you can't help the way your body reacts.

As you walk through the gym, Zeke's hand remains on your shoulder, occasionally sliding down to the small of your back as he guides you around equipment. His touch is gentle but firm, and you find yourself unsure whether to lean into it or step away.

"And over here we have our cardio section," Zeke says, gesturing with his free hand, "the second best way to get your heart rate up." He winks at you, and you feel a flush creep up your neck.

As Zeke guides you onto the gym floor, your heart races, and not just from anticipation of the workout. His massive hand rests on the small of your back, warm and impossibly large against your skin.

"Let's start with some basic stretches," he rumbles, his voice low and intimate. "Gotta make sure you're nice and limber."

You nod, not trusting your voice. Zeke positions himself behind you, his presence looming large.

"Arms up, reach for the sky," he instructs. As you comply, his hands ghost along your sides, ostensibly to check your form. "Good, now bend forward, try to touch your toes."

You lean down, feeling exposed. Zeke's hands slide down your back, fingertips tracing your spine. "Breathe deep," he murmurs, so close you can feel his breath on your neck.

With each new stretch, Zeke's touch lingers longer, grows bolder. He guides your hips into position for a lunge, fingers splayed across your waist. When you rotate your torso, his palm presses flat against your stomach, steadying you.

"How's that feel?" he asks, voice husky.

"Good," you manage to squeak out, unsure if you're referring to the stretch or his touch.

Zeke moves to face you, demonstrating a shoulder roll. "Like this," he says, reaching out to manipulate your arms. His fingers trail down to your wrists, circling them gently before releasing.

You can't ignore the heat radiating from his skin, the way his eyes seem to drink you in. Is this normal for a trainer? For a lust Demon? For Honeycomb?

"Last one," Zeke announces, moving behind you once more. "We'll do a standing backbend. Don't worry, I've got you."

His massive hands span your ribcage as you lean back, trusting him to support your weight. You feel the solid wall of muscle against your back, his breath hot on your ear.

"That's it," he encourages, "just relax into it."

You hold the position, hyper-aware of every point of contact between your bodies. Zeke's thumbs rub small circles on your sides, a gesture that feels more intimate than instructional.

As he helps you straighten up, his hands linger, sliding around to your stomach. You stand there, pressed against him, breath coming quick and shallow.

"How do you feel now?" Zeke asks, his voice a low purr.

You swallow hard, mind reeling. The warmth of his touch, the spicy scent of his skin, the raw energy emanating from him – it's all too much, too intense. And yet, you can't bring yourself to step away. Probably because you're so dedicated to this workout, right?

"Um… good," you admit, though 'good' at best is a lie of omission.

"Good!" Zeke gently claps the small of your back, sending more shivers up your spine. "Stretching is important to do before any exercise, whether it's a session at the gym or something more impromptu."

Zeke steps back, giving you space to breathe, to think. His smile is warm, inviting, as he moves into an open area of the gym. "Let's start with some basic strength exercises," he says, beckoning you to follow.

You mirror his stance as he demonstrates a squat, feet planted firmly on the ground, shoulders back. His muscles shift beneath his tank top, a mesmerizing display of controlled power. You try to focus on his form, on the way his knees bend and his hips hinge, but your eyes are drawn to the expanse of crimson skin stretching over hard muscle, the way his shorts cling to his thighs, barely containing the thick outline of his cock.

"Like this," he encourages, dropping into a deep squat. You mimic him, feeling the burn in your thighs, the stretch in your glutes. His eyes are on you, watching, assessing. You flush under his gaze, a mix of exertion and something else, something hot pooling in your stomach.

"Good," he praises, standing up. "Now, lunges."

He demonstrates the movement, one leg stretched out behind him, the other bent at the knee. His shorts ride up, revealing more of his thigh, the curve of his ass. You swallow hard, tearing your eyes away to focus on your own form.

You lunge forward, wobbling slightly. Zeke's hands are there instantly, steadying you. His touch is hot, searing through the thin fabric of your leggings. "Easy," he murmurs, his voice a low rumble. "Take your time. It's not a race."

You nod, trying to ignore the heat of his hands, the way your heart is pounding in your chest. You lunge again, slower this time, more controlled. Zeke's hands follow you, guiding you, supporting you.

"That's it," he says, his voice like velvet. "You're doing great."

You can feel the sweat trickling down your spine, the flush in your cheeks. Zeke's eyes are on you, intense, focused. You can't look away, can't break the connection. There's something in his gaze, something hungry.

He steps closer, his hands still on your waist. You can feel the heat radiating off him, the spicy scent of his skin filling your nostrils. "You're strong," he says, his voice a low growl. "You just need to believe it."

You stand there, frozen, heart pounding. Zeke's hands slide around to your back, pulling you closer. You can feel the hard planes of his chest against yours, the thickness of his barely-contained cock pressed against your stomach.

"Zeke," you whisper, your voice barely audible. You're not sure if it's a protest or a plea.

He leans down, his breath hot on your ear. "Yes?"

Your hands are on his chest, his heart thudding under your palm. You can feel the power in him, the raw, untamed energy. It's frightening. Intoxicating. You're not sure what you want, what you're doing. But you're pretty sure you don't want him to stop.

"I...I don't know what I'm doing," you admit, your voice a whisper.

Zeke's lips curl into a smile, his eyes never leaving yours. "That's okay," he says, his voice a low purr. "I do."

His hands slide down to cup your ass, pulling you against him. You gasp, your eyes widening. He chuckles, a low, throaty sound that sends shivers down your spine. "Trust me," he says, his voice a soft growl.

And you do. You trust him, even though you barely know him. Even though he's a lust Demon, even though you're in the middle of a gym, even though this is all happening too fast. You trust him, because somehow, inexplicably, it feels right.

His lips brush against yours, a soft, gentle touch that sends sparks shooting through your veins. You melt into him, your hands sliding up to his shoulders, your fingers tangling in his horns. He groans, a low, hungry sound that sends a hot shiver coursing through you.

You're vaguely aware of the other people in the gym, of the clank of weights and the hum of conversation. But it all fades away, lost in the heat of Zeke's kiss, the feel of his hands on your body, the press of his cock against you.

He breaks the kiss, your breath coming in ragged gasps. His eyes are like molten lava, hot and hungry. "You're doing amazing for a newbie," he growls, his voice a low rumble.

You can't speak, can't think. You look around, and nobody seems to be paying you any notice. All you can do is feel. Feel the heat of his body, the strength of his arms, the hardness of his cock. Is this sort of thing normal here? Is rutting your cock against someone the Honeycomb way of saying hello? Do the people around you just think Zeke is your boyfriend or something?

Zeke's hands slide under your top, his fingers tracing the curves of your body. You shiver, your breath hitching in your throat. His touch is like fire, burning away all your doubts, all your fears. Still, nobody is looking at you two. Not like you would be able to care right now, anyway.

"Zeke," you gasp, definitely a plea this time.

He smiles, a slow, wicked curve of his lips. "Yes?"

You can't answer, can't find the words. But you don't need to. Zeke knows what you want, what you need. And he's more than willing to give it to you.

His hands slide up, cupping your breasts through your sports bra. You arch into his touch, a moan escaping your lips. He chuckles, his thumbs circling your nipples, plucking a gasp from your lips.

"So…" he rumbles, lowering his hands and resting them on your hips, "we could stay out here, do some more core exercises… or we could take this somewhere else."

"Somewhere else?" You manage to get out. Zeke's eyes finally lose their lock on you, and you follow his gaze to a doorway towards the back of the gym.

You follow Zeke's gaze to the doorway at the back of the gym that you saw the class exit through earlier. He leads you towards it, his hand still resting on your hip, fingers tracing small circles that send shivers up your spine. The doorway is unassuming, blending into the wall, but as you step through, your breath catches. It leads to the locker room—just one.

The room is vast, tiled in shades of blue and green, with lockers lining one wall and showers along the other. Steam fills the air, and the scent of soap and something more primal hangs heavy. In the center, there are benches, mats, and towels scattered about. And people. Humans and metahumans in various states of undress, some showering, some intertwined with others, touching and moaning with satisfied pleasure.

Your eyes widen, taking it all in. Zeke's lips curl into a smirk as he watches your reaction. "Welcome to the real Temple of the Body," he rumbles, his voice echoing off the tiles. "This is why our members keep coming back."

He guides you further inside, his hand sliding from your hip to the small of your back. You can't help but stare. A Naga, her scales shimmering under the water, is entwined with a human in one of the shower stalls. On a mat, a Minotaur, his gold septum ring glinting, kneels behind a Dryad, his hands exploring her bark-like skin as his massive cock grows from soft and drooping to hard and leaking.

"Zeke, what..." you start, but his finger presses against your lips, silencing you.

"Shh, no judgments here," he says, his eyes never leaving yours. "This is a reward for working hard, for improving yourself every day."

He steers you to an empty bench, his hands on your shoulders, gentle but firm, pushing you down. You sit, the tile cold against your thighs. Zeke stands over you, his crimson skin a stark contrast to the pale blue of the locker room.

"You're curious," he says, his voice low, commanding. "I can see it in your eyes. You're shy but you want to be just like them."

You swallow hard, unsure how to defend yourself against an accusation so true. Zeke takes your silence as consent, dropping to his knees in front of you. His hands grip your thighs, spreading them apart, making room for him. Looking between his horns, the Minotaur from earlier has the Dryad speared on his cock, bouncing her on his lap as she cries out.

"Let's start slow," he growls, his eyes locked onto yours. His hands slide up your thighs, thumbs hooking into the waistband of your leggings. He tugs, and you lift your hips, allowing him to pull them off. The tepid, humid air hits your skin, sending goosebumps racing up your legs.

Zeke's hands roam, cupping your calves, kneading your thighs. His touch is firm, possessive. He leans in, his breath hot on your inner thigh. "You smell delicious," he murmurs, his voice vibrating against your skin.

Your heart hammers in your chest as his hands move higher, gripping your hips, thumbs digging into your flesh. His eyes are fixed on your breasts, heaving with each ragged breath. He licks his lips, a hungry, primal gesture that sends a surge of heat through you.

"Look at you," he growls. "So soft." His hands move up, cupping your breasts through your sports bra. You gasp as his thumbs find your nipples, circling, teasing. The fabric is thin—too thin to even tell it’s there.

You squirm under his gaze, his touch. It's too much, too intense. But Zeke holds you firm, his hands demanding, his eyes commanding. "Don't move," he orders, his voice harsh. "Let me explore you."

His hands move to your back, unhooking your bra with a swift, practiced motion. He pulls it off, baring you to his gaze. You shiver, resisting the urge to cover yourself. Zeke's eyes drink you in, his pupils dilating.

"Fuck, you're gorgeous," he rasps, his hands cupping your breasts, lifting them, squeezing them. His touch is rough, just shy of painful, but it sends jolts of pleasure coursing through you.

He leans in, his tongue flicking out, teasing your nipple. You gasp, arching into the warmth of his licks. He chuckles, a low, throaty sound. "Sensitive, aren't you?" he murmurs, before taking your nipple into his mouth, sucking hard.

You cry out, your hands finding their way to his horns, gripping them tightly. Zeke groans, the sound vibrating against your skin. He pulls back, his eyes meeting yours. "You like that?" he asks, his voice a low rumble. "You like it rough?"

You nod, breathless, unable to speak. Zeke's lips curl into a wicked smile. "Good," he says, his hands gripping your breasts, squeezing and kneading them. "Because I like it rough too."

His mouth finds your other nipple, biting, sucking, as his hands continue to explore your body. You're lost in a sea of sensation, drowning in the feel of his hands, his mouth, his body pressed against yours.

Zeke's hands slide down, gripping your hips, digging into your flesh. He pulls you to the edge of the bench, pressing his body between your thighs. You can feel the hard length of him, the heat of him, even through his shorts.

He grinds against you, his mouth finding yours, kissing you deeply. His tongue invades your mouth, claiming you. You moan into his kiss, your hands still gripping his horns, holding on for dear life.

Zeke pulls back, his breath ragged, his eyes wild. "Fuck, you're driving me crazy," he growls. "I want to taste you."

His hands move to your thighs, spreading them wider. You're exposed, vulnerable, but you trust him. You want this. You need this.

Zeke leans in, his breath hot on your core. You tremble, anticipating his touch. But he hesitates, his eyes meeting yours. "Is this okay?" he asks, his voice surprisingly gentle for a moment.

You nod, breathless. "Yes," you manage to gasp out. "Please."

The gentleness disappears. Zeke's hands grip your thighs, his fingers digging into your soft flesh. His breath is hot on your skin, sending shivers up your spine. You can feel his hunger, his desire, in every touch, every movement. His long, forked tongue flicks out, rough against your clit, and your legs shake in response. A gasp escapes your lips, your hands grasping at the bench, searching for something to ground you.

Zeke's tongue works magic on your flesh, each stroke sending jolts of pleasure coursing through you. You can't help but squirm under his touch, your hips bucking against his mouth. He chuckles, a low, throaty sound that vibrates against your skin. "Eager, aren't you?" he murmurs, his eyes gleaming with amusement and desire.

You flush, a mix of embarrassment and arousal heating your cheeks. Zeke's smirk widens, his tongue circling your clit with a teasing slowness. "Don't fight it," he growls, his hands sliding up to grip your hips, holding you firmly in place. "Let go. Submit to it."

Your breath hitches in your throat, your body tensing as his tongue flicks against you, relentless and demanding. The pressure builds, coiling and ready to snap. You can feel the eyes of the others on you, watching, waiting. It's overwhelming, intoxicating, pushing you closer to the edge.

Zeke senses your hesitation, your resistance. He pulls back, his eyes meeting yours, intense and commanding. "Look at them," he orders, his voice harsh. "They're all watching you, wanting you. They can see how much you need this, how much you want it."

You do as he says, your gaze flicking around the room. A Naga's eyes are locked onto you, her hand moving faster and faster over her slit, her breath coming in ragged gasps. The Minotaur has turned to watch you, his cock hard and dripping as it presses against the Dryad's ass. She looks at you too, her eyes eager as she takes a break from the Minotaur's pounding.

"See?" Zeke murmurs, his breath hot on your skin. "We're all the same, really. Even your Dryad friend loves bouncing on my cock after a run on the treadmill."

His words break down the last of your resistance. You let go, surrendering to the sensation, to the desire. Your body tenses, your muscles clenching tightly, and then you're falling, tumbling over the edge into a sea of pleasure.

Zeke's tongue never stops, never relents, drawing out your orgasm, wringing every last drop of pleasure from your body. You cry out, your voice echoing off the tiled walls, joining the rest of the searing hot orgasms around you. Your body shakes, your legs trembling, your hands gripping the bench so tightly your knuckles turn white.

As the waves of pleasure subside, you collapse back onto the bench, your body limp and sated. Zeke lifts his head, his lips glistening with your juices, a smug smile on his face. He wipes his mouth with the back of his hand, his eyes never leaving yours.

"Good girl," he praises, his voice a low purr. "You did so well."

You can't speak, can't form words. Your breath comes in ragged gasps, your heart pounding in your chest. Zeke stands, his body towering over you, his cock hard and straining against his shorts. He leans down, his lips brushing against your ear.

"But we're not done yet," he rumbles, his voice dark. "Not until I've had my fun with these."

Zeke's hands claim your breasts again, his fingers splayed possessively over their softness. He seems entranced, his gaze locked onto the generous curves, his thumbs tracing the delicate line of your collarbone before dipping down to circle your nipples. You can't ignore the raw hunger in his eyes, the unapologetic want that has him captivated.

"Fuck, I could get lost in these things,” he murmurs, his voice a low rumble that resonates through you. His hands are rough, kneading and squeezing, as if he can't get enough of the feel of you. You gasp as his fingers pinch your nipples, sending a jolt of pleasure-pain coursing through you.

He releases you, only to hook his thumbs into the waistband of his tiny shorts. With a swift, confident motion, he pulls them down, revealing his cock. It springs free, thick and hard, the tip glistening with precum. You stare, your heart pounding in your chest. It's intimidating, the size of it, the thickness, the weight. Not to mention the heavy balls hanging beneath, full with his lust.

Zeke chuckles, a sound like distant thunder, as he sees your expression. "Don't worry," he says, his voice a soothing growl. "I'm don't feel like pussy right now." He leans in, his lips brushing against your ear. "I want to fuck these lovely, heavy breasts first. I want to slide my cock between them until I paint your face."

His words send a shiver down your spine, a mix of relief and anticipation. You look up at him, your eyes wide, your lips slightly parted. Zeke smiles, a slow, wicked curve of his lips. He straddles the bench, his powerful thighs framing your body, his cock jutting out proudly.

"Come here," he orders, his voice gentle yet commanding. He guides your hands to your breasts, encouraging you to cup them, to lift them to meet him. You do as he says, your fingers sinking into the soft flesh, your heart racing. Zeke groans, his eyes darkening as he watches you. "Fuck, that's hot," he murmurs. "Always wanted to do this."

He shifts closer, his cock resting heavy and hot on your breasts. You look down at it, a bead of precum dripping onto your skin, marking you. Zeke's hands cover yours, squeezing, molding your breasts around his cock. He starts to move, a slow, steady thrust that sends his cock sliding through the valley of your breasts.

The sensation is strangely gratifying. The heat of him, the hardness, the wetness of his precum slicking the way. You look up at Zeke, his face a mask of concentration and pleasure, his horns casting dramatic shadows on the wall behind him. His breath comes in ragged gasps, his body tensing with each thrust.

"Fuck, you feel amazing," he growls, his eyes locked onto yours. "Your skin, your softness... it's driving me crazy."

You can't look away, can't break the connection. You're entranced, caught up in the raw, primal rhythm of his body. Your hands surrender to his commands, squeezing your breasts tighter around him, creating more friction, more pleasure.

Zeke's thrusts become faster, more urgent. His breath hitches, his body tenses. He's close, you can feel it. You can see it in the wildness of his eyes, the strain of his muscles. His cock swells, the tip turning a deep, angry red.

"Fuck, I'm gonna cum," he grunts, his voice barely more than a growl. His hands move to your face, cupping your cheeks, his thumbs tracing your lips. "I want to paint your face with my cum. Get ready!"

Your heart pounds in your chest, your breath coming in short, sharp gasps. You're nervous, excited, aroused—too many things all at once. But you trust him. You want this. You want to feel him, to feel the heat of his seed on your skin.

Zeke's body goes rigid, a roar ripping through his throat. His cock pulses, hot streams of cum shooting out, painting your breasts, your chest, your face. It's dirty, it's raw, it's intimate. You gasp, your body trembling as you feel the heat of him, the possessiveness of his mark.

His breath slows, his body relaxing. He looks down at you, a satisfied smirk on his face. "Fuck, you look good like this," he murmurs, his thumb smearing a drop of cum across your cheek.

You can't speak, can't form words. Your body is still trembling, your mind still reeling. Zeke leans down, licking some of himself off you before his lips brush against yours in a soft, gentle kiss.

He pulls back, his eyes searching yours. "You okay?" he asks, his voice soft, the gentleness from earlier returning.

You nod, a small smile playing on your lips. "Yes," you manage to whisper. "I'm okay."

Zeke smiles back, his thumb brushing gently against your cheek. "Good," he says, his voice a low rumble. "Let's get you cleaned up, then."

Zeke stands, offering you his hand. You take it, your legs still shaky, and he leads you towards the showers. The room is filled with steam, the sound of water hitting tile echoing off the walls. You pass by a Succubus, her midnight blue skin glistening as she moves under the spray, her hands braced against the wall as a Satyr fucks her from behind. She hisses in pleasure, her spade-tipped tail coiling around his leg, pulling him deeper.

You look away, a blush heating your cheeks. Zeke chuckles, squeezing your hand. "Don't be shy, babe. Everyone's just enjoying themselves here."

He leads you to an empty showerhead, turning the knob until water cascades down. He tests the temperature, adjusting it until he's satisfied. Then he turns to you, his hands on your shoulders, guiding you under the spray.

The water is hot, soothing your muscles, washing away the sweat and cum from your skin. You close your eyes, tilting your head back, letting the water run over your face. Zeke's hands are gentle as he lathers soap onto a towel, washing you with careful, deliberate movements.

"You did good out there," he says, his voice a low rumble. "Pushed yourself. That's what this place is about. Pushing limits, finding boundaries."

You open your eyes, looking up at him. His horns are dark against the bright tile, his eyes intent on his task. He's being gentle, caring, but there's still that self-assured smirk playing at the corners of his mouth. It's like this was his plan from the beginning; while you were losing control, feverish and horny, this was just another day at work for him.

"It's weird," you admit, your voice soft. "Being here, doing... this. It's not what I expected."

Zeke laughs, a deep, throaty sound. "That's the point, babe. Expect the unexpected. That's where growth happens."

He runs the washrag over your breasts, your stomach, between your legs. His touch is clinical, but there's an intimacy to it that sends a warm flush through you. He's taking care of you, in his own way.

Next to you, the Succubus cries out, her body writhing as she comes. The Satyr grunts, his hands gripping her hips as he finds his own release. You watch, your breath hitching, as they slow, their bodies still joined.

Zeke follows your gaze, a small smile on his face. "See? Everyone's just here to feel good. Nothing to be embarrassed about."

He turns you around, washing your back, your ass. His hands are firm, confident. You can feel his cock, hard again, pressing against your hip. But he makes no move to take things further, content to just wash you, touch you.

"You're tense," he says, his thumbs digging into the muscles of your shoulders. "Relax. Cooling down is just as important as warming up."

You take a deep breath, trying to let the tension go. Zeke's hands move to your neck, your scalp, massaging gently. It feels good, too good. You can feel yourself melting under his touch, your body leaning into his.

"That's it," he murmurs, his voice approving. "Just let go."

He turns you back around, rinsing the soap from your body. His eyes meet yours, his expression soft. "You're strong, you know that? Stronger than you think."

You shake your head, a small smile on your face. "I'm not strong. I'm... I'm just me."

Zeke's hands cup your face, his thumbs brushing against your cheeks. "You can be both."

He leans down, pressing a soft kiss to your lips. It's gentle, chaste, a surprising contrast to his earlier roughness. You kiss him back, your hands finding their way to his chest, feeling the steady beat of his heart.

When he pulls back, his eyes are soft, warm. "Feel better?" he asks.

You nod, a sense of contentment washing over you. "Yes. Thank you."

He grins, his smugness returning. "Told you I'd take good care of you."

He turns off the water, grabbing a towel from a nearby shelf. He wraps it around you, his hands rubbing your arms, warming you. You step out of the shower, your eyes sweeping over the room.

The Minotaur and the Dryad are gone, their shower empty. The Naga and the Satyr are cleaning up, their bodies slick with soap, their movements languid, sated. You watch them, a sense of peace settling over you.

–––

You grip the steering wheel tightly, knuckles still flushed from the shower's heat and Zeke's touch. The city lights blur past as you drive home, the rumble of the engine echoing your pulsing heart. With a trembling hand, you dial Phoebe.

"Phoebe," you say, voice tight, "you could've warned me about the gym. And Zeke. And the locker room… and everything else!"

A soft laugh echoes through the line. "Oh, honey, I'm sorry. I thought you'd find it exciting. A little adventure."

"Adventure?" You scoff, but your voice lacks real anger. "Phoebe, it was an orgy. And Zeke... he was..." You trail off, remembering his hands, his tongue, his commands.

"He was what?" Phoebe asks, her voice laced with amusement.

You sigh, admitting, "He was intense. And I... I bought a membership."

Phoebe laughs again, a sound like leaves rustling. "I knew you'd like it. Zeke has that effect on people."

"You could've told me," you grumble, but there's no heat in your words. You find yourself curious, eager even. "You know, told me anything at all."

Phoebe hesitates, then begins, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "Told you what? That he loves fucking me after a run? That he says he loves how my body moves, how my vines pulse with magic when I come."

You swallow hard, your body already heating at the image. "Okay, first, TMI. Second… your vines… do they really do that?"

"Mm-hmm," Phoebe hums. "It's like every nerve ending is on fire. He likes to run his tongue along them, make me shake and shiver."

You shift in your seat, your body aching at the mental image. "Goodness." A small gasp escapes your lips.

"You okay?" Phoebe asks, concern in her voice.

"Fine," you breathe. "Just... remembering."

Phoebe laughs softly. "Good memories, I hope. Did he stick it in you on your first day?"

"No, and I'm glad he didn't, honestly," you chuckle, a nervous reaction to the heat rushing to your cheeks. "Um, Phoebe, I should go. I'm almost home."

"Alright, girl," she says, her voice warm. "But don't think you're getting off that easy. We're having coffee tomorrow, and you're telling me everything."

You laugh, a mix of embarrassment and excitement bubbling up. "Fine, fine. But you're buying."

"Deal," Phoebe agrees. "Get some rest, you'll need it for your next session."

Pulling into your parking spot, you kill the engine and sit for a moment. Your body aches in places you didn't know could ache, but there's a satisfaction underneath it all. A sense of accomplishment, of pushing your boundaries.

You make your way inside, dropping your gym bag by the door. In your bedroom, you catch sight of yourself in the mirror. You look... different. Flushed, alive, and a little bit of something else in your posture. You smile at your reflection, remembering Zeke's words. "You can be both."

[mlmxreader]

An Unwelcome Distraction | Max Rockatansky x gn!reader

anonymous asked: Max Rockatansky:

Hello!!

May I please ask for a little something using the following prompts for Max Rockatansky X non-binary, male, or gn!Reader:

“Keep your head down unless you want to get shot”

(Could this one be worked out as a first meeting between Max and reader?)

summary: Furiosa sends you out to help Max, but he isn't too keen on your presence.

tws: swearing, mentions of violence, cannibalism

support your fanfic writers by reblogging what you read & enjoy

Max clenched his jaw. Across the sand dunes, bodies had been scattered; some of them were torn apart, missing limbs. Missing eyes. A few of them had bite marks in the legs, in the arms. In the face. Eating flesh wasn't exactly uncommon anymore. People were driven to extremes to try and keep surviving; he realised that when he caught a man crouching by a body, teeth ripping into the calf.

He shuddered at the thought, sinking down into the makeshift trench as he held onto his gun; he just had to time things right, make sure that he got them as they were reloading. That was all. He nodded, counting the seconds as his lips parted slightly; he was about to rise up, when he noticed another person bounding down towards him.

He growled, shaking his head before tackling them to the ground. His hands firmly on their chest, he scowled as he straddled their waist.

"Keep your head down unless you want to get shot!"

You looked him up and down, taking note of his face; his plush lips and his blue eyes. You hummed, appreciative. "Y'know, if Furiosa had told me I'd be working with someone so handsome, I would've come sooner."

Max rolled his eyes, grunting as he made his way back to his position. He counted the shots being fired, and settled down with his back against the side of the makeshift trench; he was counting each one, knowing exactly when they would run out and he could return fire. He didn't mind that you sat opposite him, so close together that your leg was between his.

He had a hard time not leaning into it. He couldn't deny, now he got a good look at you, that he was rather enjoying the view; rough and rugged, frayed at the edges. Like him. He nodded slowly, but knew that nothing could ever happen; Max was far too broken, and you were far too respected.

One of Furiosa's best. Max couldn't. He swallowed thickly, chewing at the inside of his lip when you dared to nudge his legs apart, kneeling between them with your hands on his shoulders. You pushed yourself up slightly, enough to look over the edge; Max's breath hitched, his hands coming to your hips as he held on tightly. For security, of course. Just in case he needed to pull you down.

"What is it?"

"They've paused," you told him. "They're setting a trap… say, you keep holding my hips like this, I might just find a better way to spend our time while we wait."

Max grumbled, rolling his eyes as he helped to ease you back down; your hands rested on his chest, your face so close to his that he could feel your easy, steady breathing.

Were you seriously flirting with him? In the middle of a fucking gunfight?

He huffed, leaning back and folding his arms across his chest. Shutting you out as he looked down the trench. But then you moved, and captured his attention again with ease. Pulling your shirt off and letting the material fall behind you; Max clenched his jaw, looking at your torso with great interest for a moment before he looked away again.

Why? Why did she have to send you?

"Like what you see, Max?"

He scowled at you. "You should cover up."

"Why?" You scoffed, laughing. "It's hot. I can't focus if I've got sweat in my eyes."

He growled under his breath, shaking his head and licking his lips before he shrugged off his jacket and passed it to you. "You'll get hurt."

"Fine," you rolled your eyes, taking the jacket and shrugging it on. You didn't dare to zip it up. "But I'm keeping it open."

Max glared at you, which was usually enough for people to back up and actually listen to him, but not you; you just grinned at him, letting your tongue dart out to wet your lips. The movement was slow and casual, but to Max, it only made his breath hitch in his throat.

He grabbed his gun, and took a look over the edge of the trench; you were right. They were trying to lure your side into a sense of false security so that they could unleash whatever beast they had hidden away under that mass of tarpaulin. He grumbled.

Why did you have to be right?

"I'm a tactician," you told him when he sat back down and faced you. "Furiosa's best."

Tactician. Of course. For fuck's sake.

"Hmm."

"Furiosa said you needed help getting rid of the raiders," you clarified. "So she sent me whilst she dealt with the ones to the East."

"Right."

"You don't talk much," you told him, nearly laughing. "I like that."

"You talk too much," Max huffed.

"Maybe you can find a way to shut me up," you said, shamelessly looking at his lips. "Or maybe you'll find a couple of ways."

He sighed heavily, knowing that he shouldn't; he couldn't deny that it was a tempting invitation from an all too good looking person. His heart was pounding in his chest, and he shook his head as he tried to think of a better way to deal with things; he ran a hand down his face, grumbling to himself.

It wasn't that Max wasn't thinking about kissing you, or that he didn't want to, but he knew he shouldn't invite you into his life; he was too broken, he had been through too much, and he knew that he would only break you, upset you, cause you pain. He couldn't let that happen.

It was going to be a long few days. He knew he would be distracted the entire time, unable to do his job properly; but he has to power through, for the good of everybody else. He didn't need to be so selfish that he would disregard the safety and needs of others.

Even if you were sitting there wearing his jacket and exposing a strip of flesh where you had it undone.

Even if you did look like an oasis in a desert.

[randomwriteronline]

"I am getting married."

Ferfax hummed: "To whom?"

"Vastus of the Jungle Tribe."

This time, the elder actually raised her eyes from the sheet of parchment she had been busy reading to pivot them right at him with a flabbergasted look.

Tarix continued to stand, unbothered.

"Their first Glatorian?" she sputtered - just to make sure she had heard correctly.

He nodded.

He watched her put her head in her hands.

She sighed heavily: "Must you give me a headache too, now?"

"It's just a marriage."

"Just a marriage - you know you can't get married if you can't share a house," Ferfax bit back: "And I'll be dead before I send you to Tesara, and I'll bet you Racans will be of the same opinion about sending their best Glatorian to live in Tajun!"

"If you make me an ambassador to the Lebori I have a right to a home in Tesara," Tarix argued with a shrug.

"I told you I'm not sending you there!"

"I'm not talking about living in it. Just having it."

"What would the point of having one if you'll never use it? And how is that supposed to solve the problem, anyhow?"

"Nobody ever said it can't be someone else's house. Like Vastus's."

The elder glared at him. He held her gaze.

At last, she gave a long, suffering groan, head heavily settling on her palms: "I'll have to discuss this with Racans."

"Thank you, chief."

"But I'm not marrying you."

"Fair enough, chief."

"You'll have to find somebody else to do the parchmentwork for you."

"Will do, chief."

"And quit that!"

Tarix ducked under the bone stylus thrown at him with a cackle.

-

"How's your calligraphy?" Vastus asked in a staggeringly casual manner as he pulled off his armor.

Strakk eyed him carefully: "Legible," he replied.

"If I get you the material, would you be keen on marrying me and Tarix sometime in the next month or so?"

The Koniri blinked.

"Why me?" was his argument. "Shouldn't your elder do it?"

"Racans said we've caused enough from trouble for them and Ferfax already with the whole housing situation," the other shrugged. He picked a small bucket filled with sand, moving to the other corner of the room so it wouldn't mix with the melted snow his fellow Glatorian was cleaning his fur with, and dumped the whole thing over himself. "So they don't want anything else to do with this. And since you're already here, might as well ask."

His opponent crossed his legs and hummed loudly as he massaged his mechanical chin, deep in thought.

He leaned his head to the side: "It would require me to be very flexible, but I could make myself available, yes. Of course, since it's still precious time stolen away from my life, I'd probably deserve some kind of compensation..."

"Enough to buy the stuff," Vastus cut him off.

"Excuse me! I'm over here, offering you my services-"

"You're accepting to provide a service," the Lebori corrected with a chuckle as Strakk rolled his eyes and waved at his semantics: "That's quite different."

"It doesn't change anything! I'll have to get the stuff, wait for the right date, come over to wherever you are, write it all twice - marriage is no little thing to officiate!" the Koniri rebuked, giving himself plenty of airs while his opponent shook the sand in excess off of his body. "I will be laboring on it for weeks! I demand proper payment!"

"Your proper payment is me letting you win those reparations we'll have to give Iconox, how's that sound?"

The Koniri gave an exaggerated huff and pulled back some of his dark fur to show a large, very recently formed bruise on his arm: "You call this 'letting me win'?"

The woman poofed the last of his bath out of his feathers: "I could have done worse." he grinned.

He gave a hissing laugh when the other Glatorian scoffed theatrically.

"Alright, fine, I'll get you a wed-gift as payment. What do you need?"

"Money."

"You know that's not how it works. Here - think of something you need, and that will surely save you money and trouble."

The addition did prompt Strakk to ponder if there was something like that in his list of necessities for a few more seconds.

His gaze fell on his axe, running a very quick check on it with his good eye - since the prosthetic one, despite being immune to snow burn, wasn't as good at telling details apart.

He hummed at last: "I'm not planning on replacing my weapon anytime soon, and I've got polishing material of my own already - but I've got an inkling that sharpening the blade with just a stone is degrading it little by little. You wouldn't happen to have...?"

"Powder and oil, got it." Vastus nodded while collecting the last few things before he could journey back to Tesara. "I'll fetch you some."

"And it better be good quality stuff!" the Koniri called after him as he left room, waving a wet rag threateningly in his direction: "Don't go be a cheapskate! You hear me? I'm the man who'll marry you, you better show some gratitude!"

The Lebori laughed at him and waved, very grateful indeed.

-

"Do you have plans?"

"What kind?"

"In general."

"What do you need to know that for?"

"To check if you'd have the time to spectate my wedding."

Ackar turned to him with a weird look.

"You're getting married?" he asked.

Tarix nodded: "To Vastus."

"Yes, I imagined - what I'm asking is, why?"

At that, the Gaquri shrugged, eyes growing whistful and mouth tugging itself into the shape of a small smile: "Love?" he offered.

He jabbed the Tapyri when he whistled sarcastically.

"You've been courting out of love for a long while too. Can't you just keep doing that instead?" the other insisted. "It's not like you'd get much else out of marriage that you don't aready have... I'm not even sure you can get married - with the whole sharing-a-house part."

His friend smirked, chewing the stem of his pipe: "We already found a loophole," he gloated, "And that's why our elders got mad at us and refuse to have anything else to do with this."

"Figures..."

A few cries rang out: Malum barked something at a group of rookies in a strict Tapyri dialect, and Ackar hollered right back at him in tone to shut whatever he was trying to start down before anybody got hurt. He got back a furious glare, but nothing else. Both Glatorian watched the younger warrior stalk back to an armored dummy in a corner of the arena from their seats.

They noticed how he reached under his armor to rub at his chest.

His prosthetic ribcage must have been giving him grief again.

"Seriously," the Gaquri registered lazily as the words slithered in his ear with a whisper: "Why marriage?"

He swatted at the other's nose: "Now you're getting on my nerves."

"I just want to understand! It's such an old-fashioned thing," the Tapyri defended himself.

That made Tarix chuckle: "Old-fashioned? Go look in a mirror, that'll give you something old-fashioned," he mocked his friend.

But Ackar remained serious: "Is it because you want children? That used to be the reason. But in a time like this-"

"Of course we're not having one now, we're gonna wait until the situation's a little more peaceful! Why don't you stick yourself to my ass while you're at it yapping about how I should live my life? Great Beings' sake, you're turning into a nagging old man. Next question's if we're sure about this because we're still too young and stupid to make our own choices?"

"The point is that you aren't young," his friend bit back: "And things don't look like they'll be getting better anytime soon."

The Gaquri glared at him, but said nothing to counter him, only puffing nothing out of his pipe twice in a pensive manner.

He shook his head, sighing deeply: "Listen, I don't know if we have a reason and I don't care. Maybe we were just raised like that, maybe it's because we do hope to have a kid sooner rather than late, maybe it's something else... Point is - would you spectate us?"

Ackar leaned back in his seat, silent for a moment.

At last, he smiled: "I'd love to."

The other veteran grinned back at him: "There," he huffed playfully, "Was that so hard? Now tell me what you need for your wed-gift."

"Nothing."

"That's not how this works and you know it, now tell me."

"I can't think of anything."

"Make an effort."

"Hm, nope. It's a barren wasteland in here."

"Get fucked, then!"

"I'll try to."

Tarix laughed so hard that the faulty spring in his knee almost burst out through his prosthetic flesh.

-

"What's that?" Gresh asked.

Vastus continued to work the clear amber resin without looking at him: "Did you grind the flour like I told you?"

"I did. What is that?"

"Then go make some dough for the dumplings."

His nephew huffed loudly, purposefully blowing on his ear to bother him; his concentration remained unbroken as he carefully plucked a down feather from his arm to press it into the small band.

He covered it with another layer of malleable matter while the younger Glatorian fetched a little water to mix in with the ground up bugs, listening to him bristle quietly all peeved about his unanswered question as he definitely pressed the heel of his hand into the slowly solidifying solution far too forcefully, as he always did when he was mad about something.

"You're gonna ruin your wrist like that," he told him distractedly.

"No I'm not."

"Yes you are."

"Maybe I wouldn't if I had some help."

A little smile tugged at Vastus's lips as he stood up: "You'll make a poor Glatorian if you're defeated by dough," he laughed softly, fetching some wood.

"That's not what I meant!" the younger Lebori snapped.

His aunt gave a hissing giggle that made him puff out his feathers angrily, like a Gravel Hawk chick.

He side-eyed his mentor while he tossed the kindling under a pot, which he poured enough oil into to fully fry something small enough; after placing whatever it was he'd made on the small flammable pile so that the heat would harden the resin into some sort of gemstone, he threw in a few lit matches to spark up the fire, fanning it until he found himself satisfied with its lively state.

He stretched back up with a terrible crackling of his spine prosthesis, yawned, and sauntered over to the small table his nephew was still digging his hand way too hard into the soft somewhat viscous mass.

Gresh handed it over with a pout when Vastus gestured at him, rolling his eyes in annoyance but quickly going back to watching his aunt's expert movements carefully - as he always tended to do, since he was a visual learner first and foremost, and he still strived to avoid making mistakes.

After a few minutes, the dough had been successfully domesticated.

Vastus pried a chunk out of it and held it up: his nephew was quick to snatch it and roll it into a ball before squishing it into a flat circle, laying it back on the table before doing the same to each subsequent piece he was presented with.

"It's my pawn of affection for Tarix," the veteran Glatorian finally saw it fit to explain.

Gresh furrowed his brows a moment before understanding: "So you're getting married?" he asked, turning to the other with eyes wide and feathers fanned out in genuine surprise.

The woman nodded.

"When?" the rookie inquired.

"When we have time."

"Can I be there?"

"I don't know if you'll have time, but of course."

"And what's it going to be like? The wedding, I mean."

"Oh, it'll be a practical thing. We'll exchange pawns, Strakk'll write it down, and then we'll sign all that."

The Koniri's name caused his nephew to wrinkle his nose: "Why him?"

"Because he's got good handwriting," Vastus smirked, "And he was the nearest person I knew who I could ask to do this for us."

"Ackar wasn't there?"

"Nope, but he's our spectator anyways. Besides! Strakk isn't that bad. You're just hung up on the fact he's mean."

Gresh grumbled something, crushing a ball of dough into a wobbly mess. His mentor nudged him gently: he quickly rolled the whole thing again and properly flattened it.

"And is that going to be it?" he asked after a moment.

"The wedding? Yes, of course. Should there be something else?"

"Racans said theirs was followed by a party. They had a big supper and a dance and all."

The older Glatorian sighed: "Yes, that used to be a thing - but those were different times, kid," he explained: "We don't have the sort of time or resources for something like that nowadays. A wedding like that is a big ordeal, and we've got to work, you know? The easiest way to get the four of us together already is pick up a match at the same arena and get everything done in-between rounds. There's really no space for big celebrations."

"But you could still have a special supper," Gresh insisted. "Even if it's just you and me. Or you and Tarix... Are you moving to Tajun?"

"Nah, we found a way." his hand descended on to of his nephew's head, scratching at it gently to bother him as he bristled and whined. "I can't leave a little thing like you all on tir own, can I?"

The rookie swatted at him: "I'm not a 'ti' anymore! I'm an adult!"

"Are you? Last time I checked you were a few centuries and a good bunch of centimeters short of outgrowing childhood..."

"I'm not short!"

"Can you even reach the top of the pantry?"

Vastus laughed his hiccuping cackle as he watched the younger Lebori storm off to climb all the way to the highest shelf, at last throwing the filling for their dumplings at his aunt's head.

-

"Oop, there they come," Strakk warned him.

Tarix lifted his head and the stylus from the second piece of parchment to see Ackar limp in, hands on the lower half of his back and a pained grimace on his face. He smiled as Vastus appeared next to him, looking a little less worse for wear: he excitedly waved his hand at his soon-to-be spouse, who answered him in kind.

"I'm not built for riding Sand Stalkers anymore," the Tapyri grumbled.

"Here I thought I was the one who needed a prosthetic spine," the woman quipped back at him: "How did you even manage to get hurt? We would have gone faster if we'd walked! It took us ages getting those grains here from Vulcanus."

His partner clicked his tongue and shook his head: "Should've asked for some painkilling ointments for your wed-gift."

"You know those get lost in the mucus and don't work," Ackar argued.

"Then should've asked for a few medicinal sghitts."

"Ough, don't even mention those - I've already got Perditus reeking of them bad enough he can't wash the smell off most of the time, I'd rather not live with a permanently plugged nose."

"Are you going to cut the small talk or would you like to postpone the wedding altogether?" Strakk cut in, his overly polite tone dripping with sarcasm. He was fanning the ink on both parchments with his hand so it would dry faster, sitting astride on a bench. "I get it that the rest of you have today free, but I'll be up against Kiina in about twenty minutes and I'm not getting my pay docked because I was late getting the two of you married."

"Your pay's not getting docked," Vastus called his bluff.

"But it could!"

"Fine, fine, get on with it then."

The Koniri bowed his head with as much annoyingly unnecessary deference as possible to express his thanks and shooed off the groom from his seat so that he would go stand over with his wife.

He then stretched his back as Ackar stood beside him, groaned a little, and hunched over to the two almost identical pieces of documentation he'd prepared: with one hand he picked a parchment at random, while the other went to cover his organic eye so that he wouldn't get a headache as he tried to read.

Finally he staged a couple coughs to clear his throat.

"Before tomorrow, possibly," Tarix teased him.

"Shut up."

There were a few snorts.

Strakk squinted a one-eyed glare at the three of them, but let the whole thing slide with an exaggerated sigh to start reading aloud.

"With this document, Koniri Strakk of Iconox records the lawful marriage of Lebori Vastus of Tesara and Gaquri Tarix of Tajun, on... What's the current date?" he interrupted himself. Ackar leaned in to whisper it to him: he wrote it down. "Alright, thanks - now where was I - bababa, in the Glatorian arena of Tajun, as spectated by Tapyri Ackar of Vulcanus. So I declare. Now offer the pawns..."

While he handed over the stylus to the Tapyri so that he could sign his participation on both parchments in advance, the spouses dug into their pockets for a moment, each one of their hands emerging at last wrapped around something.

The exchanged a few glances to determine an order between them: in the end, Tarix went first.

"I offer you a pawn of my affection," he recited; his arm bent forward mechanically, and his fingers lifted to reveal a snail shell with a long, careful cut in which he'd wedged one of his scales so it couldn't fall off, and a metal wire around it. "For the honor of being your husband."

"I offer you a pawn of my affection," Vastus echoed him in both words and motions, presenting him instead with an open ring of amber encasing a feather within: "For the honor of being your wife."

Strakk shifted his hand over his other eye to get a better look at the small charms. The other two Glatorian helpfully leaned their palms a little closer to his face so that he could more accurately take note of their details.

The Koniri hummed and jotted down a quick description of both, planning to copy it on the second parchment later.

"And do you accept?" he asked the spouses as he finished writing.

"I accept, and take you as my wife," Tarix declared, placing his palm over the ring.

"I accept, and take you as my husband," Vastus declared, putting her hand over the shell.

The bone stylus scratched at the levigated Sun Serpent skin, leaving on it deep brown letters that seeped into the shallow trenches dug into the parchment very slowly.

Satisfied with his work, Strakk waved his hand and decided there was no point in keeping up any pomp: "So on and so forth, lawfully wedded, so I declare, exchange pawns and a kiss and congrats on the marriage."

"Aren't you the voice of romance," Ackar snickered.

The Koniri grinned as he speedily copied everything onto the second document: "Why, thank you."

The newlyweds ignored them, having tuned them out already. Their fingers tightened almost in unison, linking their hands together; they leaned forward to press their noses against one another for a few interminable seconds, making the flat silhouettes of their faces adhere all but perfectly like two halves of a whole.

The kiss their mouths shared instead was a small quick thing, barely held long enough to be seen at all. It still lingered in the wide smiles that squinted their eyes into slits after they came apart.

Ackar's few polite claps made them snicker: "May you have much happiness and healthy children!" the Tapyri wished them heartily.

"Aaah, thank you, friend," Tarix laughed.

Vastus sighed: "We'll need those, I think."

"And I'll need you to sign these over here," Strakk piped up, waving his stylus at the bride: "Your husband already got it done while we were waiting for you."

The Lebori's feathers vibrated in pure joy for a moment, causing his silhouette to be shaken by long waves.

While he leaned down to leave his signature, Tarix pulled a satchel from one of his pockets and offered the wed-gift to Ackar with a grin: "Here's a little show of gratitude for your trouble."

"Spectating you was no trouble at all, but I'll take that," his friend thanked him. His eyes lit up as he recognized the rattling sound of the pouch's contents when he shook it: "Nacre snails?" he asked, flummoxed. "How many even - a dozen or so? They must have cost you a fortune."

"Not as much as you'd think. Kiina's little brother's real good at finding them, and he makes a good price."

"Berix?"

"He's a good kid."

"I know that. I didn't know he was a hunter, too."

"Well now, hunter might be too generous--"

"And before you mention it," Vastus interrupted them as he too pulled out a present for their officiator, "Here's the gratitude I promised you, for your troubles."

"Oooh, thank you," Strakk howled as he eagerly wrapped his hands around his offering. "Right on time too, I'll bet you that hellish girl is going to find a way to chip my axe today... Alright, sweethearts - and Ackar, I'm entrusting you the result of my hard work for your elderssince I'm afraid I'll have to take my leave now. I've got a Gaquri to fight, you know - business as usual."

In one fell swoop he stood up from the bench, closed his ink bottle, whisked it away with his stylus, made them both disappear with a slight of hand, and regaled the three Glatorian with a deep overly flourished bow.

"Much happiness and healthy children," he bid them goodbye, and with his axe in hand he disappeared into a corridor.

The others watched him go.

"Bet you a batch of Thornax Kiina's gonna wipe the floor with him."

"I HEARD YOU, TAPYRI!"

Ackar laughed loud enough for the whole arena to hear him as he followed him suit, waving at the married couple.

Tarix turned to his wife, the word dancing in his stomach like a fluttering sparrow: "Wanna go see 'em?" he offered, playing with the amber ring before slipping it on a finger, reveling in the sound it made against his scales. "Or do you want to visit your second house?"

Vastus snorted, carefully sliding the snail charm into a thin thread he tied around his neck, letting it dangle on his chest: "I'm afraid I don't have time for that. It's a long way to Tesara, you know..."

"All the more reason to stay."

"I already gave my word to the merchants we escorted earlier that I'd stick to them until we got to the village."

"Can't get in the way of your work, then. But in that case..." the Gaquri rummaged on his person for the third time. He handed his spouse a small, specially made sack giving off the distinctive scent of kelp jades - round sticky fruits produced by certain algae found in the watery caves of Tajun. "Have these - for our nephew. I bet he's mad he couldn't come. A little treat should cheer him up."

"Well, wouldn't you know?" his beloved mused as he took the food: "A week ago or so he was wondering why we wouldn't have any other celebration, like a special dinner..."

It would have been nice to eat together, the two of them thought; but some things just weren't possible in these times.

They sighed.

Suddenly, they realized they were still holding hands.

They made no motion to pull them away from one another. On the contrary, they just looked at them for a moment, small smiles growing larger on their faces, hearts beating a little faster with every passing second.

They met each other's eyes again.

"We're married," Tarix said, grinning wider.

"So we are," Vastus replied, eyes shining.

They giggled to themselves like little kids as they pressed their faces together in another nose-kiss, giddy with a certain euphoria they weren't sure they could compare to many other things in their lives; they kissed on the lips, once, twice, cackling softly, and they would have gone on much longer if Tarix's diaphragm hadn't started collapsing, and if Vastus's name hadn't echoed around the corridors to remind him they had to go.